Poignant and kinetic, Housekeeping for Beginners is a love letter to queer love and chosen family. The film that won the Queer Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival is out in theaters Friday. And we have a clip from the film of gay teen Ali (Samson Selim) meeting Dita (Anamaria Marinca of 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days) and Suada (Alina Serban), the lesbian couple who eventually take him in.
North Macedonia’s official Oscar submission this year, the film is the third feature from gay director Goran Stolevski, who was born in Macedonia and emigrated to Australia as a teen. His gay-themed feature Of an Age put him on the radar of LGBTQ+ viewers in 2022.
Housekeeping for Beginners kicks off with music and revelry as Ali sings impromptu karaoke with Suada’s daughters, the rebellious teen Vanesa (Mia Mustafa), and Mia (Dzada Selim), an adorable and precocious kindergartner. Soon the lesbian couple must cope with Suada’s less-than-promising diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Suada begs Dita to promise to care for her children and create a better life for them when she’s gone by marrying their gay friend Toni (Vladimir Tintor), whose dalliance with Ali brought him to their home.
A queer extended family dramedy and celebration of life, Housekeeping for Beginners also touches on ethnic disparities for the Roma people like Suada and her daughters, who face segregation in schools. The film also explores how queer people primarily remain closeted for their safety.
Watch the clip from Housekeeping for Beginners where Dita and Suada arrive home following a harrowing doctor’s appointment to find Ali in their home with Suada’s daughters.
Housekeeping for Beginners, from Focus Features, is out in theaters Friday.
