Imagining Post-Totalitarian Bulgaria: National Identity Negotiations in the Bulgarian and the English Versions of Balgar (2008-2019)

Abstract

This thesis examines how the web series Balgar (2008-2019), created by Bulgarian animator Nedelcho Bogdanov, constructs different discourses on post-totalitarian Bulgarian national identity in the original Bulgarian version and its English adaptation. By applying the Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) method to analyse a game show scene from the episode “Старият Фар”/”The Old Lighthouse”, the study explores how language, voice-acting and visuals all contribute to the (re)articulation of identity. In the Bulgarian version, democratic Bulgaria is shaped as a highly fragmented society with a regional East-West divide. In contrast, the English version reframes these internal tensions to present a more homogenised ‘Balkan’ Bulgaria. By incorporating theories from Benedict Anderson, Joep Leerssen and Maria Todorova, this thesis contributes to broader discussions on national identity construction within animation, cultural reframing across languages, as well as post-totalitarian Balkan and Bulgarian media. Keywords: post-totalitarian Bulgaria; animation; national identity; Balkanism; Othering.