‘The Big Boom!,’ Documentary About Weapons Factory Workers, Picked Up by Lightdox Ahead of IDFA Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Lightdox has acquired world sales rights to Swiss filmmaker Gabriel Tejedor’s documentary “The Big Boom!” ahead of its world premiere in IDFA’s Frontlight programme. The film examines how a Bulgarian town’s arms industry supplies weapons and ammunition for Ukraine’s frontlines, while raising questions about local loyalties, pacifism and economic survival.
Set in Kazanlak, known as Bulgaria’s “Valley of Roses”, the documentary follows four residents whose lives are connected to Arsenal, the town’s main employer. The factory employs thousands, and its role sits alongside the town’s rose oil production and folklore traditions. Tejedor says the film does not judge workers or residents, but explores the contradictions shaping their lives and Europe.
- Lightdox acquired world sales rights to “The Big Boom!”
- The documentary follows four people in Bulgaria’s arms-making town of Kazanlak.
- It explores the tension between Ukraine’s war effort, local beliefs and economic survival.
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Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, and its arms industry includes factories that make weapons and ammunition. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukraine has relied on military supplies from other countries as it defends itself.
Kazanlak is a town in central Bulgaria, known for rose oil and local traditions as well as arms production. Arsenal, a major weapons maker, is one of its largest employers, so the industry is tied to jobs and the local economy.
The story follows residents whose lives are connected to the factory. It raises questions about how people weigh work and economic security against personal beliefs about war, while the weapons produced there are linked to a conflict beyond Bulgaria.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The arms industry provides thousands of jobs in Kazanlak and helps sustain families and the town’s economy, while supplying Ukraine as it defends itself against invasion. Workers may see their role as practical solidarity with Ukraine and a source of livelihoods, rather than a rejection of pacifism or concern for peace.
The case against
Producing weapons ties local livelihoods to the continuation of armed conflict and raises ethical concerns for residents who oppose violence or fear its consequences. Economic dependence on a major arms factory may also narrow people’s choices, making it harder for a town to imagine prosperity beyond an industry serving the battlefield.