19-25 January
2026
Set in North Macedonia, the film unfolds in a large house in the hills above Skopje, where social worker Dita lives with her partner Sauda, Sauda’s kids, their gay friend Toni, and an eclectic group of individuals.
Dita, with a Kosovar background, has created a haven in the house she inherited, a refuge for those rejected by their families, like Vanessa and the charming six-year-old Mia. The film opens with the arrival of Ali, a Roma youth who quickly becomes part of the household. However, the joyful atmosphere takes a somber turn when Sauda receives news of her terminal cancer. As Sauda's death looms, the makeshift family must come together to protect one another. The film expertly explores the challenges faced by individuals from different ethnic and social backgrounds.
Goran Stolevski's Housekeeping for Beginners, winner of the Queer Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, is a fizzy and heartwarming portrait of a blended queer family. Despite the inevitable grief, Stolevski infuses surprising comedy into the narrative. The performances, especially by Samson Selim as the flamboyant Ali, are impressive and authentic.
Goran Stolevski is a director from North Macedonia who emigrated to Australia as a teenager. He completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne and a Masters in Film and Television at the Victorian College of the Arts. His 25 shorts have screened at more than a hundred festivals across six continents.
2022 You Won't Be Alone
2022 Of an Age
2017 Would You Look at Her
Kl 08:45
Kulturhuset
Kl 11:45
Fokus 1
Kl 19:15
Fokus 2 (Bonordsalen)
Programme: | Competition |
Original title: | Domakinstvo za pocetnici |
Director: | Goran Stolevski |
Country: | Sweden, Kosovo, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, Australia |
Year: | 2023 |
Run time: | 1h 47m |
Screenplay: | Goran Stolevski |
Cast: | Rozafa Celaj, Sara Klimoska, Anamaria Marinca |
Dialogue: | Macedonian, Albanian |
Subtitles: | English |