Patrick Smithuis is the author of a series of videos run on Youtube with the title The Truth about Bulgaria's Forests that show the bitter local reality as seen by a foreigner.
Patrick Smithuis first came to Bulgaria in 1992-1993 for joint work with Bulgarian textile companies. He later got into the construction and real estate business. Since 2007 he has been living in Bulgaria, is married to a Bulgarian woman and has two daughters. For a year now he has been active shooting documentaries and has also been involved in charity projects.
The inception of Patrick's documentaries was 50 km away from the city of Sofia at the southern edge of Iskar Dam. From that point he started a journey of Bulgaria asking questions… questions that most often get zero answers ... So far, Patrick has shot 14 films about various issues in the country - from problems with the construction of a landfill near the Iskar Dam to the problems of Bulgarian forests - their unlawful and widespread logging and the sale of timber for pennies.
Patrick Smithuis's first film My Personal Pain and Sorrow opens with that he has long accepted Bulgaria as his new homeland, and he often feels pain for what he sees every day. Since 1989 there have been hardly any positive changes happening here. Even after 25 years of transition the word jiggery-pokery still has a cult status at all levels of society. He wonders why young people leave for Europe or US and why the nature is ruined. What is the master plan for Bulgaria, Patrick asks with plenty of personal pain.
All films by Patrick Smithuis are available to watch at www.mynewhomeland.org
English: Daniela Konstantinova
"We cannot escape from modern technologies, but we must think about how we can use artificial intelligence to improve the quality of education without losing human contact," said Mimi Nicheva, head of the Bulgarian Sunday School "Sts...
Nearly two centuries ago, in the distant 1838, the Bessarabian Archbishop Dmitry Kishinev and Khotinsky consecrated the magnificent Orthodox church "The Holy Transfiguration of the Lord" , built with voluntary donations and labor by the Bulgarian..
Bringing youthful energy, colour and cheer to the Bulgarian National Radio studio, students from the Bulgarian Sunday School Dr Petar Beron arrived from Larnaca. The group from Cyprus — 16 pupils aged between 14 and 19 — is currently on a week-long..
Forty Bulgarian schools in 22 US states have become a second home for the children of Bulgarian emigrants. They create continuity..
A case of a dog run over by a doctor in a district of Sofia has caused a wave of public indignation and a protest in Sofia, which will..
A Bulgarian-designed electric vessel has gained international recognition , reaching the final round of the prestigious Gussies Electric Boat Awards 2025 ...
Partly Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy
Fog