German Kristine Nrecaj and Birthe Templin’s House With a Voice, which they describe as “a powerful depiction of patriarchal dominance,” world-premieres March 8, International Women’s Day, in Thessaloniki’s Open Horizon’s section. The film is sold by France-based agency Stranger Film Sales.
The synopsis reads how, in the patriarchal landscape of the Balkans, a fascinating tradition exists whereby women known as Burrneshas undergo a profound transformation to assume the roles and privileges typically reserved for men. This unique societal phenomenon sees these women changing their gender socially by cutting their hair, donning male attire, adopting masculine names, and integrating themselves into male-dominated spaces.
The unconventional practice of taking on male roles serves various purposes, from ensuring the survival of the male lineage in families with no male heirs to granting married women seeking divorce as a means of liberation.
In their notes for the film the filmmakers stress how “patriarchal structures still rule but not every woman is willing to accept the restrictions of personal freedom. Living as a Burrnesha gives the film’s characters the same rights and obligations as men. Fully accepted within Albanian culture, they begin to think, speak and even behave like men. Over the years, some of them are no longer recognizable as women at all.”
“It becomes their character and in the end it becomes the destiny…our mind is so strong that the body adapts to our thoughts and the way we behave,” suggested co-director Nrecaj when pitching the near-completed film during DOK Leipzig 2023. “This is universal for us because we all have our mind, we all have thoughts and we can influence our body with it… which was super interesting for us.”
Nrecaj adds on the eve of the world premiere: “My great aunt was a Burrnesha. She lived in a remote village in the northern Albanian Alps. A house without a man has no voice in the village community. As a Burrnesha, my great aunt had something that other women didn’t have. She had a voice. She was free in her decisions and she could move freely in public. She combined both the masculine and the feminine.”
Co-director Birthe Templin comments: “The Burrneshas have chosen the path of self-determined life with all its consequences. None of them regretted their decision. Isn’t that what we should all do? To remain true to oneself and to live according to it. Regardless of gender and conventions, regardless of society-made restrictions and boxes. Perhaps therein lies the secret of meaning and happiness. The experience with the Burrneshas has expanded my mind. I hope that the spark will also spread to the audience.”
