Aszparuh
Khan Asparuh is a 1981 three-part Bulgarian historical action drama film directed by Ludmil Staikov. It tells the story of Khan Asparuh and the events around the founding of the medieval Bulgarian state in 681 AD. Shot and released on the occasion of the 1300th anniversary of Bulgaria, the film received acclaim and was selected as the Bulgarian entry for the Academy [Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film] at the 55th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
In 1984, the film was internationally released as 681 AD: The Glory of Khan in a 92-minute English-language edited version, down from the original 5½ hours. This version earned negative reviews for not presenting the entire plot well and focusing on certain aspects, thus changing the whole feel of the production.
Cast
- Stoyko Peev as Khan Asparukh of Bulgaria
- Antony Genov as Velisarius
- Vassil Mihajlov as Khan Kubrat
- Vania Tzvetkova as Pagane
- Stefan Getsov as The High Priest of Tangra
- Georgi Cherkelov as Velisarius' father
- Iossif Surchadzhiev as Constantine IV