Slovenian โขDirectorโข Kukla Prepares ‘Good girl’ for International Release, Exploring Balkan Identity and Queerness
VENICE, ITALY – โSlovenian directorโ Kukla is poised to release her second feature film, “Good Girl,”โค following a competitive screening at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Theโ film delves into themes of identity, โคfemininity, and queer experience within the complex socio-political landscape of the Balkans, offeringโ a unique perspective distinct from Western narratives.
“Good Girl”โ centers onโ a trans woman named โFantasy, whoseโค presence โคsparks a questioning โขof societal norms and personal truths among a group of young women.โ Kukla, born Katarina Bogdanovicโ and nicknamed “Kukla” (meaning โ”doll” in Macedonian) during her childhood, draws heavily from her own experiences navigating a multi-culturalโฃ identity โshaped โby โฃroots in North โคMacedonia, a childhood in โSlovenia, and current residence in Belgrade, Serbia.โค The film’s explorationโค of identity resonates particularly now as conversations โaround inclusivity and depiction gain global momentum.
Kukla reflects on her upbringing,โฃ notingโข the xenophobia she โfaced in slovenia during the late 1990sโค and early 2000s. “My national โidentity was drowned in โขshame,”โ she explains. “I speakโ perfect Slovenian, but โคwhenโ they heard my โฃmother speaking, there was a lot โof bullying. So,we just weren’t accepted โฃas a community.”โ She โขobserves a shift in Slovenianโ culture, โคdescribing the emergenceโ of a diaspora subculture and โขher interest in the “fluidities of identity,” which areโข central toโ the film’sโฃ narrative.
“Fantasy is not afraid of her vulnerability, but also โnot โafraid of her power,” โKuklaโ states.”I wanted to โฃinclude this Balkan queerness โin my film, which is not dependent on Westernโค queerness. I think we have our own version of it.” Theโ director emphasizes Fantasy’s agency, highlightingโค her role in โdemonstratingโฃ the diverse expressions of femininity โคand truth.
Kukla also points to a striking contradiction withinโ Balkan society: “It’s very transphobic, homophobic โคand misogynistic place, yet her โDMs are full of straight men with families.” This observation underscores โคthe film’s critique of โขsocietal hypocrisy โandโ theโข lack of genuine acceptance forโ trans individuals.
“Good Girl” is produced by Lija Pogaฤnik, Barbaraโ Daljavec โand Vlado Bulajiฤ for Slovenia’s December, and isโ being sold internationally by Totem โขFilms. The projectโข was first reported by โค theโ Hollywood Reporter.