Valentin Todorov, who passed away in Sofia on 22 September, leaves an immense legacy for the social and cultural movements in Bulgaria.

He studied physics at Sofia University and completed MFA program in Film and Media Arts at Temple University, Philadelphia. In the second part of the 80s, before the fall of the totalitarian Communist regime in Bulgaria, and in the early 90s, he played an important role for the emerging sci-fi scene in the country, co-publishing the underground journal “Practice”, as well as authoring several books awarded for their originality and exploration of deep social meanings. In the said period, Todorov also wrote texts for hit songs by cult music bands of the time, like the rock band Ahat and the punk band Kontrol. He was a co-author of the first registered independent project for a Constitution of Bulgaria in 1990, right after the fall of the regime.

From 1991 to 2012 he lived in the USA. There, he became active in the alter-globalisation movement and later in Occupy Tampa. In 2004 he co-founded Indymedia Bulgaria (unfortunately now defunct) and the website lifeaftercapitalism.info in 2009.

When Todorov returned to Bulgaria, he continued to be politically active. He participated in the first self-organised community space in the country—the Adelante social centre in Sofia. He also participated in social and ecological movements in the 2010s, most notably the ones of 2013, when Todorov and Adelante activists managed to provoke a public assembly at the Eagles Bridge in the heart of the city. This took place for several consecutive weeks, gathering hundreds of protesters every day to discuss protest tactics and alternatives to the system, while blocking one of the most central traffic arteries of the country, a stone’s-throw away from the parliament.

In 2013, his first feature film was released, Bulgaria, This Eternal Heresy. It is an eco-anarchist-utopian exploration of the deep-seated shortcomings of what currently dominates society and of what more humane and just alternatives might look like.

Val Todorov’s exploration of anti-authoritarian ideals through various mediums not only inspired his generation of rebels, but also left a rich legacy for generations to come. He will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.