Housekeeping for Beginners
Housekeeping for Beginners is a 2023 drama film written, directed, and edited by Goran Stolevski, centering on a social worker named Dita who reluctantly assumes guardianship of her deceased partner's two children amid tensions in their shared queer household in Skopje, North Macedonia.[1][2] The narrative examines the formation of chosen family bonds, generational conflicts, and resistance to traditional expectations from the children's biological father, set against a backdrop of domestic chaos and societal conservatism.[3][4] Produced as a multinational effort involving Macedonian, Polish, Croatian, Serbian, and Kosovar companies such as List Production and Madants, the film features Anamaria Marinca in the lead role alongside Alina Serban and Samson Selim.[5][6] It premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, securing the Queer Lion award for best LGBTQ-themed film.[7] North Macedonia selected it as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, though it did not receive a nomination.[8][9] Stolevski's third feature highlights his focus on marginalized lives in the Balkans, drawing from observational realism to portray imperfect interpersonal dynamics without sentimentality.[10]Synopsis
Plot summary
Dita, a social worker in Skopje, North Macedonia, who has never desired motherhood, finds herself compelled to raise her girlfriend Suada's two daughters—Mia, a young troublemaker, and Vanesa, a rebellious teenager—after Suada's terminal cancer diagnosis.[9] As Suada's health declines, Dita moves into the family's shared, chaotic household filled with queer friends and assumes primary caregiving responsibilities amid escalating tensions and daily conflicts.[2][11] To secure legal stability for the girls in a conservative society that scrutinizes unconventional families, Suada urges Dita to enter a sham marriage with Toni, a straight Turkish friend from the household who agrees to the arrangement despite his own prejudices and personal hesitations.[9][2] The narrative explores the makeshift family's struggles with grief, generational clashes, and the pressures of maintaining unity, as Dita confronts her reluctance toward commitment while navigating bureaucratic and social obstacles to keep the children together.[1][12]Cast and characters
Principal cast
Anamaria Marinca stars as Dita, a Romanian social worker thrust into guardianship of a makeshift family.[13] Samson Selim portrays Ali, Dita's partner and a key figure in the household dynamics.[13] [14] Mia Mustafi plays Vanesa, one of the children under Dita's care.[13] [14] Dzada Selim appears as Mia, another child navigating the family's challenges.[13] [14]| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Anamaria Marinca | Dita [13] [14] |
| Samson Selim | Ali [13] [14] |
| Mia Mustafi | Vanesa [13] [14] |
| Dzada Selim | Mia [13] [14] |
| Alina Serban | Suada [13] [14] |
| Vladimir Tintor | Toni [14] |