Theodore Ushev

Biography

Theodore Ushev was born in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, in 1968 and graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia. He first made a name for himself as a poster artist in his native country before settling in Montreal in 1999.  He found fertile ground for developing his own original artistic style at the National Film Board of Canada. The Man Who Waited and Tzaritza (2006) quickly earned the respect of audiences and peers, as did his acclaimed trilogy on the relationship between art and power: Tower Bawher (2006), Drux Flux (2008) and Gloria Victoria (2013).  With Vertical (2003), Sou (2004) and Demoni (2012), Theodore Ushev solidified his reputation as an inquisitive and daring artist by exploring new content-delivery platforms. His 16-time award winner Lipsett Diaries (2010), narrated by Xavier Dolan, examined the pioneering work and tragic destiny of Canadian filmmaker Arthur Lipsett.  Theodore Ushev quickly followed with Nightingale in December (2011), Joda (2012) and Third Page from the Sun (2014), a scathing reflection on the future of books. In Blood Manifesto (2014), a poetic and ferocious short which he animated with his own blood, he ponders whether ideals are worth spilling blood for. Blind Vaysha (2015), nominated at the Oscars, is a philosophical tale about the importance of living in the moment.The Physics of Sorrow (2019), also adapted from the book by Georgi Gospodinov, a compelling and personal portrait of rootlessness and identity, is Ushev’s latest project, and his most ambitious work to date.