Maria Bakalova Interview: Bodies Bodies Bodies and Women Do Cry

Maria Bakalova experienced a meteoric rise to stardom in Hollywood just about a year and a half ago with the release of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Given the fact that that movie is a very specific form of comedy and, at the time, it was Bakalova’s sole worldwide release, you might be eager to see what else she can do. How far does her range really extend? Well, Bakalova just had a new movie premiere at SXSW 2022 that suggests that range could be endless. Bakalova leads Women Do Cry as Sonja, a young Bulgarian woman who discovers she’s HIV positive right in the midst of significant public outrage over inequalities in the country, including the mistreatment of HIV-positive individuals. The film covers what happens when Sonja’s sister, Lora (Ralitsa Stoyanova), and the other women in their family step in to do what they can for her while also managing their own struggles tied to the misogyny and homophobia in the country. While in Austin for the Texas premiere of Women Do Cry and also the world pr