"God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya" wins EP 2019 Lux Film Prize

The candidates were Cold Case Hammarskjöld (Denmark/Norway/Sweden/Belgium) by Mads Brügger, God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya (North Macedonia/Belgium/Slovenia/Croatia/France) by Teona Mitevska and The Realm (Spain/France) by Rodrigo Sorogoyen.

The Lux Film Prize is dedicated to promoting European cinema by supporting the dissemination of European productions and sparking a Europe-wide debate on major political and societal issues. It was first awarded in 2007.

"It is not always easy to deal with the complexities of our daily work without getting caught up in the technicalities of parliamentary activities. We must also be able to communicate emotions and use new languages, Sassoli said at the ceremony.

Mitevska's film "tells the story of a young unemployed woman who wins the race for the holy cross during the Orthodox ceremony of Epiphany. She suddenly has access to a religious tradition usually only open to men. The film is seen as a significant contribution to the feminist struggle against conservative societies."