Ursus Filming Locations
Ursus Filming Locations
Sofia is the capital of the Balkan nation of Bulgaria. It’s in the west of the country, below Vitosha Mountain. The city’s landmarks reflect more than 2,000 years of history, including Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Soviet occupation. Medieval Boyana Church has 13th-century frescoes. Built by the Romans in the 4th century, St. George Rotunda Church has medieval and Ottoman decoration dating to the 10th century.
Kyiv is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2,952,301, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center in Eastern Europe.
Berlin, Germany’s capital, dates to the 13th century. Reminders of the city's turbulent 20th-century history include its Holocaust memorial and the Berlin Wall's graffitied remains. Divided during the Cold War, its 18th-century Brandenburg Gate has become a symbol of reunification. The city's also known for its art scene and modern landmarks like the gold-colored, swoop-roofed Berliner Philharmonie, built in 1963.
Tbilisi is the capital of the country of Georgia. Its cobblestoned old town reflects a long, complicated history, with periods under Persian and Russian rule. Its diverse architecture encompasses Eastern Orthodox churches, ornate art nouveau buildings and Soviet Modernist structures. Looming over it all are Narikala, a reconstructed 4th-century fortress, and Kartlis Deda, an iconic statue of the “Mother of Georgia.”
Ursus (2020)
With Georgia's capital under siege in 1992, unemployed film director NIKA sees a unique opportunity to escape the ravages of civil war. A former studio bear CHOLA has been invited to retire at the Berlin Zoo, and NIKA and his former stuntman TOMA can accompany Chola on the long journey. But the war again impinges on the two friends as Nika's films are burned in an attack that also leaves their beloved bear dead. With no other options, Nika hits on an outrageous solution: he'll disguise himself in a bear suit and travel as Chola to Berlin. They sneak through Turkey, the Balkans and Eastern Europe to, finally, Berlin, encountering soldiers, police, a mystic soothsayer, drug dealers and gangsters along the way - oh, and a fiery red-headed French Canadian animal rights activist who joins them to ensure the well-being of 'Chola!' It's a journey fraught with obstacles - some comic, some tragic, some both - in which the motley band of travellers learn that hope, love and freedom are as fragile as they are elusive.
