Brno/Munich, 28 August 2026. Bulgarian audience hit and Berlinale -featured drama Shattered Bonds (6x1h) has been selected by the Serial Killer Festival in Brno. The six-hour series, which was previously part of the conference program at Berlinale Series Market, had premiered successfully on Bulgaria’s public broadcaster Nova TV, achieving an impressive market share of 23%.

Shattered Bonds is based on the award-winning novel The Mothers by Teodora Dimova, which has been translated into eleven languages. The series is directed by Viktor Chouchkov (TILT) and shot by Alexander Stanishev, starring Boryana Bratoeva, Zahari Baharov (Game of Thrones, Slow Horses), and Julian Kostov (White Lotus).

The Bulgarian outlet The Weekend attributes the series’ success to “Viktor Chouchkov’s confident and unobtrusive direction, Alexander Stanishev’s excellent cinematography, and the preserved psychological depth of the novel.” At its national debut, Shattered Bonds was praised by Kino Magazine as “intriguing visual cinematography”, noting that “the cast … brings this ensemble to life and touches the viewer.”

The series tells the story of six teenagers: Andrea, Leah, Dana, Alexander, Nikola, and Deyan, who form an extraordinary bond with their new teacher, Yavora. At first, she seems unremarkable, just another face in the faculty. But under her guidance, their grades improve, their camaraderie deepens, and they transform into kinder, more empathetic individuals. Their closeness, however, alarms the kids’ parents, who see Yavora as a threat. As the pressure to break them apart grows, the teens cling to her, viewing Yavora as their only refuge in an increasingly hostile world. Through the lens of the six teens’ personal and family struggles, their stories reach a climax on the day Yavora invites them to meet her in a park near the school. But the meeting, meant to bring solace, leads to devastation as they’re torn from their last source of unconditional support.

Shattered Bonds is produced by Overlock Entertainment and Albion Films for Nova Broadcasting Group, and with the support of the Bulgarian National Film Centre and UNICEF Bulgaria. Beta Film handles international sales.