I AM FROM TITOV VELES

Three sisters share a house in Macedonia. Their mother walked out a long time ago, their father died shortly afterwards, and Afrodita, Sapho and Slavica have been looking after themselves ever since. In their hometown Veles (still called Titov Veles by most locals), each one of them is looking for ways to escape a seemingly predestined fate and realise her own ideas of a happy life. Slavica, the oldest sister, is trying to kick a methadone habit and desperately looking for a husband. The ambitious Sapho is equally determined to change her life, to get away from her sisters and above all from the lack of perspective offered by her Macedonian homeland. She’s willing to do anything for men who might help her get hold of a visa. Afrodita stopped speaking when her father died; she was 5-years-old at the time. Now she’s a 27-year-old virgin who constantly dreams of meeting the love of her life and having a baby. The film draws the viewer into the emotional relationships between the trio of sisters, unhurriedly presenting its impressive images and critically outlining social conditions in Macedonia at the same time. The audience stays with the silent Afrodita and experiences not just disappointments and shattered hopes, but also the rare happy moments where comforting dreams mask the stark reality.