Press Kit

Director Andrea Simon in conversation with Mariana Ivanova, Academic Director of DEFA Film Library 
On an episode of The Yiddish Book Center's podcast The Shmooze, Andrea Simon discusses Art is a Weapon and how the story of Angel Wagenstein informs a larger narrative.
Art is a Weapon - Ein Film über Angel Wagenstein, German language interview with Andrea Simon
Andrea Simon and Angel Wagenstein interviewed on The Day Begins with Culture (Денят започва с култура

“The scriptwriter, author, socialist, and political activist Angel Wagenstein is not a household name in the English-speaking world, though Andrea Simon's bracing documentary about him suggests that he should be. ... Simon wisely keeps the always fascinating Wagenstein at the center of her film, skillfully weaving the complex tapestry of this dynamic life and work into a vivid, but candid, portrait. Is it time for a Wagenstein retrospective?”
“Few filmgoers are likely to be acquainted with the work of Bulgarian writer-director Angel Wagenstein, who was 94 when filmmaker Andrea Simon made this revealing documentary. … An engrossing portrait of a significant figure in Eastern European post-war cinema, this is highly recommended.”
“His considerable output in cinema - over 50 films - deserves greater recognition outside the former Warsaw Pact countries; but the vagaries of film distribution, beset by commercial exigencies and political tensions, have left him all but unknown outside Eastern Europe.  Seeing Simon’s graceful, handsome and intelligent film, and being delighted by Wagenstein’s earthy, candid wit, one hopes that the situation can be ameliorated.”
“Masterful … every moment of Angel Wagenstein: Art is a Weapon will stay with you.”
“The USSR had Sergei Eisenstein, while Bulgaria had Angel Wagenstein. … The life and work of the 94-year-old screenwriter and novelist are wonderfully depicted in Andrea Simon’s top-notch documentary.  . . . I am delighted to report that Angel Wagenstein: Art is a Weapon was 'weaponized,' winning SEEFest's Documentary Audience Award."