God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya

This multiple Berlinale award winner from North Macedonia is a savage and hilarious feminist polemic against patriarchal control.

Every January during Epiphany celebrations, the men of Štip dive into the river, angling to retrieve a submerged crucifix and earn a year of good luck. When the downtrodden Petrunya (Zorica Nusheva) becomes the first woman to claim the statue, the town explodes with fury, but a police investigation, media scrutiny, religious pressure and angry male mobs can’t rob this determined crusader of her prize – or principles.

With equal parts anger and amusement, and a blistering performance from comic stage performer turned film debutant Nusheva, God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya explores the struggle facing Macedonian women as times change but conservative attitudes remain the same.

“This isn’t just an engaging tale of one woman challenging the male-dominated church and state, but a movie making a smart, impassioned statement against widely accepted subjugation in many forms.” – Screen International