Sworn Virgin / Vergine giurata

To give up physical love forever is the price which defiant Hana must pay to become a man in an isolated Albanian mountain community governed by strict patriarchy, according to the still valid ancient laws of the Kahun. However, leaving the mystical mountains 14 years later and trying to start anew in a modern Italian city spur Hana to realize her suppressed femininity and desires yet unknown. As a man named Mark, she finds her long-lost sister who has previously escaped from the village, and with her family's help, she starts to explore whether and how she can get her sexuality back. The story of Hana/Mark, set in the parallel existing environments of the highlanders' community and today's Italy, deconstructs the borders of gender identity in traditional as well as modern culture, when their rituals and convictions clash on Hana's journey to her true self. Hana is portrayed by Italian star Alba Rohrwacher with breathtaking persuasiveness. Laura Bispuri's impressive directing debut premiered at the main competition of this year's Berlinale.