Slovenian Filmmaker Kukla Tackles Modern "Lysistrata" in Upcoming Film

Slovenian filmmaker Kukla, whose debut feature "Fantasy" premiered at the Locarno Film Festival last year, is currently working on her sophomore project. Titled "Good Girl," the new film is a modern take on the Ancient Greek comedy "Lysistrata" by Aristophanes.

In this updated version, a third world war is threatened, and a TikToker "randomly speaks her thoughts out loud that we should stop having sex with men and stop giving birth to their kids if they want to kill them, and she starts a huge movement all over the world," Kukla explains. The film will be set in different territories, including the Balkans and France, as Kukla aims to showcase "the strength of women everywhere."

Interestingly, the lead actresses from Kukla's previous film "Fantasy" - Sarah Al Saleh, Mina Milovanović, and Mia Skrbinac - will also appear in "Good Girl." Kukla sees this as an "homage" to the trio, with whom she has had a "long journey" of growth as both people and filmmakers.

"Fantasy" itself was inspired by Kukla's interest in patriarchy, gender roles, and identity. The film centered on three tomboy best friends in Slovenia who refuse to conform to conservative norms, and their encounter with a transgender woman named Fantasy. This exploration of Balkan queer identity is something Kukla hopes to continue in her new project.