Heretic has picked up sales for Urška Djukić’s debut feature film premiering in Perspectives Competition, ahead of the Berlinale.

The film focuses on introverted 16-year-old Lucia, who joins her Catholic school’s all-girl choir, where she befriends Ana-Maria, a popular and flirty third-year student. But when the choir travels to a countryside convent for a weekend of intensive rehearsals, Lucia’s interest in a dark-eyed restoration worker tests her friendship with Ana-Maria and the other girls. As she navigates unfamiliar surroundings and her budding sexuality, Lucia begins to question her beliefs and values, disrupting the harmony within the choir.

In a statement, Djukić said: “I began by exploring the female voice, which has been silenced so often throughout history. This led me to the awkward relationship with sexuality, sin, and feelings of guilt. Through a sensitive young girl shaped by societal conventions of sinfulness, I wanted to delve into how a young person finds their own inner power.