I Am From Titov Veles (Teona Mitevska)

I Am From Titov Veles is film by Macedonian filmmaker Teona Mitevska. Macedonia produces about two pictures a year, with maybe ten documentairies a year. With a not so generous filmfunds, looks for money abroad. She has her own production company with two relatives. Her previous film also played in Rotterdam, it was titled How I killed A Saint.

The film is about three sisters. The oldest is 35 and wants to get married, the middle one wants to go abroad, and the youngest one is a mute that wants a baby, but is still a virgin. The focus of the film is on the youngest one of the three, which we hear speaking through voice-over. While she dreams of having a baby, the middle sister of the three, arranges a marriage partner for the older sister. After she marriages and leaves the house, the other sister will leave the mute girl alone. Only then it becomes clear how dependant the girl was of the other sisters. She then starts dating the old boyfriend of her sister, but finds out he sleeps with a lot of different girls.

As the title suggests, the film is about a girl who is from Titov Veles, but there is nothing in this village. All the sisters will leave the village, with a visa or by getting married. This is what the film is about, growing up in a small village, and getting out of there. The film is a good portrait of live in Macedonia, but in the end there is some tragic scenes that only seem to have been put there for dramatic purposes. They come unexpected, and without a real function beside drama. While the sisters keep discussing how hard it is to get a visa, the mute sister suddenly has a visa at the end, which wasn't that hard after all.

While there are some flaws in the script, there are also some interesting dream sequences, with a surrealistic touch. The film has some beautiful images, and convincing acting, which make I Am From Titov Veles an interesting observation in Macedonian life.

*** (out of 5)