Acclaimed at festivals like Berlin, Edinburgh and Seville,
writer/director Teona Strugar Mitevska's God Exists Her Name is Petrunya is inspired by the true
story of a woman who defied tradition during Macedonia's annual throwing
of the cross event - where a priest throws a cross into a river to be
fetched by the first man to retrieve it - by diving in and grabbing the
cross before any men could get their hands on it. The woman, Petrunya,
becomes a feminist hero while angering her local community for defying
tradition.
God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya is in US cinemas and
virtual cinemas from June 25th. A UK/ROI release has yet to be
announced.
Check out the trailer and poster below.
The official synopsis reads:
God Exists Her Name is Petrunya is based on a true story. It takes place in Stip, a small town in Macedonia. Every 19th of January for the holiday of Epiphany, the throwing of the cross event takes place in almost all the Orthodox world of Eastern Europe. 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, the young woman Petrunya dives into the water on a whim and manages to grab the cross before the others. Her competitors are furious, the local population as well as religious establishments are outraged as women aren’t allowed to take part in the ritual. All hell breaks loose, but Petrunya holds her ground. The next day, in an interview to the local television station she encourages more women to jump for the cross in the future. She is labelled by the population as a "crazy/disturbed/troubled" young woman.
