Absolutely shuttered

By Shaun Inguanzo
A SPRINGVALE photographer who lost an invaluable roll of film by leaving it atop her car as she drove to a photo lab is appealing to the public for its return.
Bistra Atanasova said she photographed a function over the Easter long weekend so her client could send the pictures to her cancer-stricken mother in Europe.
But on Wednesday, 11 April, Ms Atanasova placed the roll of film in a cloth bag and accidentally left it on top of her car as she drove from her Wales Street home to a local photo lab to have it developed.
The bag slid off during the trip and Ms Atanasova failed to realise what had happened until she arrived at her destination in Virginia Street.
She frantically backtracked the course but failed to find her cloth bag and its valuable contents.
“I just had to sit there and cry,” a devastated Ms Atanasova said.
“I have not been able to sleep because I haven’t yet told the family I’ve lost the bag and film on my way to have it developed.
“Oh God, I feel silly, I’m sure they won’t be happy with me.”
She urged the person in possession of the film not to use it.
“There are two films in there and I hope some idiot does not attempt to use them,” she said.
“One film is from my (28-year-old) son’s car he had been photographing, but the biggest problem is that the other film had the photos that were to go to the girl’s mother who has lost an eye to cancer. Those photographs were going to be sent overseas to Europe.”
Ms Atanasova said she could not believe she had made such a comical error as leaving her bag on the car roof while driving off.
“I keep thinking ‘how could I do this?’ and ‘how could I just drive off?’,” she said.
Her frustration escalated when she asked her neighbours if they had seen the bag.
“I was asking the neighbours if anybody had picked up a little red bag, but they just said ‘we no speak English’.
“I was so frustrated that I said ‘no, you can speak English’, and ‘I know you understand what I am saying’.”
Ms Atanasova said she would offer a small reward if the bag, described as red and about the size of an A4 sheet of paper, and its contents were returned to Springvale Police, whom she called after the incident. Other items in the bag included keys, loose change, a watch and a Medicare card.
“I don’t care who took it, I just want it back,” she said.
Contact Springvale Police on 8558 8600 if you can help.