Lies have been a feature of Batko Stamenov’s life from the moment he was born. He was raised by his aunt who later revealed herself to be his mother. But after she dies, the doctor informs Batko that she was a virgin. This marks the beginning of the end for Batko, who is recruited into the secret police as a spy, only to be fired without justification. He goes on to form his own fictitious secret service, and his formidable abilities in spying, deceit, double-crossing and betrayal enable him to amass an explosive secret archive. A rare gem from the Bulgarian film scene, this is former cinematographer Emil Christov’s first feature as a director. With a rigour recalling Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, a use of absurd non sequiturs reminiscent of Lynch and a paranoia characteristic of Polanski, The Color of the Chameleon elegantly distils espionage and science fiction into a fascinatingly stylized black comedy and political commentary on totalitarianism and authoritarian excesses.