The Chalice. Of Sons and Daughters (2022)

Pocalul. Despre fii și fiice (2022)

83 min. - Documentary - -

Synopsis: In villages in Transylvania live a Roma population who preserved the tradition of marriages by arrangement. At the centre of marriages stand chalices (golden cups) which come from the ancestors and are passed on from father to son. Chalices are invisible in everyday life: they are kept hidden in the houses of Romanian neighbors. On the occasion of a marriage, the groom’s chalice is given in trust to the bride’s family until the new couple has a son – the ultimate guarantee of the endurance of a marriage. Daughters are not desired, because they bring the prospects for their parents to pay big cash dowries to marry them off. It is not uncommon that young couples resort to pregnancy interruption in case of female fetus. In this context, the documentary follows a young couple in their mid-20s, parents to a 5 year daughter who are striving to conceive a son, in order to comply with the custom concerning the male inheritance of ancient chalices. While they are living under tremendous strain as they are taking fertility and ultrasound checks, their respective families are disputing their rights in the chalice pledged when they arranged the couple’s match. Will the couple succeed in bringing forth a son or will they resort to sex selective abortion?

Director: Cătălina Tesăr, Dana Bunescu

Writer: Cătălina Tesăr

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