Following Films Podcast: Teona Strugar Mitevska on God Exists Her Name is Petrunya

Today I'm Joined by the director of God Exists Her Name is Petrunya. The film 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.

God Exists Her Name is Petrunya will be in theatres and virtual cinemas on June 25th. If you happen to live in NY or LA try to see this in a theatre, obviously if you are comfortable, if you have your shot and haven’t been to the cinema in awhile

http://www.1844entertainment.com/petrunya/

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Big thanks to Bookmans for sponsoring the show and to Fort Worth for letting us use the song at the end.

To hear the show press play on the embedded player below

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