
In Stip, a small town in Macedonia, every January the local priest throws a wooden cross into the river and hundreds of men dive after it. Good fortune and prosperity are guaranteed to the man who retrieves it. This time, Petrunya dives into the water on a whim and manages to grab the cross before the others. Her competitors are furious – how dare a woman take part in their ritual? All hell breaks loose, but Petrunya holds her ground. She won her cross and will not give it up.
STARRING
Zorica Nusheva
Labina Mitevska
Simeon Moni Damevski
Suad Begovski
Stefan Vujisic
Violeta Shapkovska
WRITER
Elma Tataragič
Teona Strugar Mitevska
D.O.P
Virginie Saint Martin
SOUND
HRVOJE PETEK
INGRID SIMON
THOMAS GAUDER
MUSIC
Olivier Samouillan
FILM EDITING
MARIE-HÉLÈNE DOZO
PRODUCTION
SISTERS AND BROTHER MITEVSKI (Macédoine)
ENTRE CHIEN ET LOUP (Belgique)
VERTIGO (Slovénie)
SPIRITUS MOVENS PRODUCTION (Croatie)
DEUXIÈME LIGNE FILMS (France)
EZ FILMS (France)
DISTRIBUTION
PYRAMIDE
Teona Strugar Mitevska

Teona Strugar Mitevska was born in 1974 in an artistic family in Skopje, Macedonia. She started as a child actor, trained as a painter and a graphic designer and later studied at MFA program in film at the Tisch School of Arts, New York University. She made her debut as short film director in 2001 with VETA (Special Jury Prize, Berlin International Film Festival 2002). Film HOW I KILLED A SAINT (Tiger Awards Competition of the 2004 Rotterdam International Film Festival) is Teona’s first feature made under the auspices of SISTERS AND BROTHER MITEVSKI, a company she established together with her brother Vuk and sister Labina. Her next feature film, I AM FROM TITOV VELES, received Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Sarajevo Film Festival and was selected for the 2007 Toronto International Film festival (Discovery section), 2008 Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama) and Cannes Film Festival (ACID). Feature film THE WOMAN WHO BRUSHED OFF HER TEARS premiered at 2012 Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama Special) and in 2013 Teona directed and edited film TERESA AND I, a feature documentary about Mother Teresa, her life and work through the perspective of a woman of today. Feature film WHEN THE DAY HAD NO NAME premiered in the Panorama Special of the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival, while her latest feature film GOD EXISTS, HER NAME IS PETRUNYA will be premiered in the Competition of the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival. Since its founding, SISTERS AND BROTHER MITEVSKI have also co-produced several feature films: THE WILD PEAR TREE by Nuri Bilge Ceylan; NIGHTLIFE by Damjan Kozole and SIERRANEVADA by Christi Puiu. Teona Strugar Mitevska lives in Brussels, Belgium with her son Kaeliok.
FILMOGRAPHY
2017 : WHEN THE DAY HAD NO NAME
2013 : TERESA AND I documentary
2012 : THE WOMAN WHO BRUSHED OFF HER TEARS
2007 : I AM FROM TITOV VELES
2004 : HOW I KILLED A SAINT
2001 : VETA short