Full Breakdown
Teona Mitevska Announces “Petra Doesn’t Want to Die” at Sarajevo Film Festival
8/19/2026, 12:06:40 AM
New Sequel Unveiled
North Macedonian filmmaker Teona Mitevska revealed her next feature, *Petra Doesn’t Want to Die (Anatomy of Masculinity)*, during the Sarajevo Film Festival. The film follows a rebellious Belgian teenage feminist diagnosed with multiple mental-health conditions as she travels to a provincial Macedonian town and encounters Nenad, a millennial “incel” who joins a local “Legion of Truth” movement.
From “God Exists” to a New Generation
*God Exists* portrayed Petrunya, a thirty-something woman confronting patriarchal backlash in Štip. The sequel shifts focus to Generation Alpha, whom Mitevska calls the “anxious generation.”
Plot and Thematic Focus
The director links rising youth suicide rates, precarious job prospects, and algorithm-driven social-media pressures to Petra’s desperation. A Q&A after *God Exists* sparked the question “Why are these men so angry?”—prompting Mitevska to explore the Balkan-style “Legion of Truth,” a regional echo of the American MAGA movement. Through the clash of Petra’s defiant femininity and Nenad’s quest to reassert masculinity, the film probes the reciprocal construction of gender identities.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Ten years after ‘God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya,’ here we are: Macedonia, 2026,” — Teona Mitevska
- “Why are these men so angry?” — God Exists
The announcement coincided with Mitevska’s broader industry push, including the launch of Sister Sister, an initiative with French filmmaker Céline Sciamma aimed at reshaping women’s roles in Balkan film and television. The Sarajevo Film Festival runs Aug. 14 – 21.
