Those of you who have witnessed people dancing on embers in outdoors restaurant in Bulgaria may think that you know about the Nestinari (people who walk or dance on fire), but nothing could be further from the truth. For Nestinari dancing on embers is not about entertaining people; it's a personal spiritual ritual that cleanses and brings insight into past, present and future.
In 2000 TV maker and advertising and fashion photographer Vassil Karkelanov  and his wife Iren Levi, journalist, scriptwriter and TV presenter and producer worked together on a program for bTV, called Nebivalitsi (a program about strange people). One of the episodes featured a Nestinar and that's how the couple got first acquainted with this phenomenon.
"The man in question made a huge fire in the garden outside the studio and performed his ritual and danced on the embers. Somehow this evoked our interest. Of course we were impressed that someone could enter a fire without getting burned. But what interested me even more is, why do people enter the fire." says Vassil. "Then the Nestinar told me that this ritual comes from a village in the Strandja Mountains. But he assured me that the people there will never talk or be filmed. They don't let strangers into their community. Of course, my curiosity only grew and I decided to visit this village in the mountains."
"I figured if you want to find information on what's going on where and with whom in a village, the best place to start is the local pub. We got in touch with the most talkative people there and we became friends," says Vassil. "Later they introduced us to other people and that's how the project started. Not even a couple of weeks later these secluded villagers let us film the Nestinarska ritual they only perform on the night of June 3, on which the Christian holiday of St. Konstantin is celebrated. It turns out that the real Nestinari are mediators between people, God, past, present and future. That they have the gift of prophecy, healing powers and cleaning the soul." In the end, the honest interest of Iren and Vassil in the rituals and their meaning of the Nestinari and their respectful way of working won the hearts of the people over. Over a period of three years, the couple worked on their film: Nestinari. Fire of Devotion. They interviewed people on their way of life, emotions, the history of Nestinari and most of all their souls and their spiritual ritual and mystical powers. What happens in their bodies, minds and souls at the time of the ritual?
"The film shows how a handful of really old people keep their tradition alive with absolute devotion. How they cook specials meals, dress the icons; clean the church and how they perform all other rituals to do with the night of June 3." 
Iren: "Weeks before the ritual takes place, Nestinari become more and more introvert. They already appear to be in a trance-like state. Then on the night of the ritual, which is prepared by the villagers with great care and devotion, the Nestinari enter the fire holding icons of St. Konstatin. It's a release. The spirit is freed of bad influences. Not only theirs, but of all villagers. The Nestinari dance or walk in and out of the fire in a trance, waving their arms, screaming and prophecies are made. But, after this night, life in the village goes on like before. And nobody could ever know what really happens every year on the night of the third of June."