Blogpost by Dr. Andra-Octavia Drăghiciu In the Defense of Housekeeping for Beginners
Housekeeping for Beginners by Goran Stolevski (2023, North Macedonia) tells a universal human story of love, loss, community and overcoming adversity. The story revolves around a patchwork family in Skopje, held together by social worker Dita. Her home is open to her gay friend Toni, her partner Suada and their two daughters Mia and Vanesa, as well as three other teenage girls and finally Ali, Toni's young partner. The main characters, marginalised by society because they are either queer, orphaned, Roma, or a combination of these characteristics, must navigate everyday life and personal relationships in a Southeast European society full of prejudices and intolerance. What does it mean to be Roma in North Macedonian society? What techniques does the film use to raise awareness for exclusion and anti-Gypsyism? Is Housekeeping for Beginners the perfect intersectional film that dismantles all stereotypes?
