PRIZES OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY
PRIZE WINNER COMPETITION 2019
Gospod postoi, imeto i’ e Petrunija (God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya)
by Teona Strugar Mitevska
Jury statement
The Ecumenical Jury of SIGNIS and INTERFILM awards its Prize to a modern-day parable Gospod postoi, imeto i’ e Petrunija for its daring portrayal of the transformation of a disempowered young woman into an outspoken defender of women’s rights. When Petrunya spontaneously joins in an Orthodox Church ritual for young men by catching a cross thrown into a river by a priest, she breaks church and social traditions. Her initial refusal to return the cross unleashes her inner strength in the face of institutional conventions and reveals God within her.