ILLYRIA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP PRESENTS:
Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderberg, Warrior King of Albania
A documentary film by Nik Gjonaj
SYNOPSIS
In a time long ago, amidst the warring civilizations of East and West, the dream of universal empire is looming on the eastern horizon, for the house of Osman has awakened. Without mercy the Ottoman Empire devours peoples and nations. A warrior shall rise and a fiercely independent people will break the chains of slavery and sacrifice everything for freedom.
Torn from his family and country a young prince is dragged into the court of the crescent. Raised in the Sultan’s palace and destined to be the most brilliant commander of his time. Stripped of his Christian name and compelled to accept Islam, Sultan Murad II would give him the name that the world shall forever know him by, Scanderbeg.
This name will strike terror to his enemies and give hope to a world on the brink of oblivion.
Upon a moment of truth, a fateful decision, Scanderbeg and his loyal warriors return to Albania, their fatherland and the faith of Christ. Uniting the Albanian warrior race against the Ottoman Colossus. Forsaken, betrayed, murdered and enslaved for over a quarter of a century, Scanderbeg and his people suffered their Passion. Leaving their nation in ruins, the Albanian resistance saved Western Civilization from Ottoman Conquest.
Spared from obscurity, this heroic tale was chronicled by an Albanian Catholic monk, Marin Barleti, who witnessed the sunset of the Age of Scanderbeg. One man’s destiny became a nation’s epic struggle for freedom. Glory has a terrible price.
Q & A with DIRECTOR NIK GJONAJ
1. How and why did you decide to make a film centered on Scanderberg Gjergj Kastrioti?
His story has always been a passion of mine since childhood, and as I got older that passion grew. I could never understand why there wasn’t anything done on this great hero and his deeds before, so I always envisioned doing something to bring this hero’s story back to life.
2. Please explain your history in filmmaking. How did you become a filmmaker?
I’ve always been fascinated with great stories, the visual arts, music, and film. As a child, I used to collect comic books and have playmates reenact these storyboards. As I grew older, I would watch films in various genres and ask myself after every film; “why did I love it, why did I love to hate it, why did I hate to love it?” And these questions began to evolve into other questions. The rush I got was how a film can provoke your thoughts and emotions into another level of thinking. The use of music to make you feel the scene, the delivery of a monologue, the little details that usually go unnoticed, the camera angles, the lights. All of these turned into an obsession of creating and/or recreating snapshots in time that had occurred, or that had just simply been my imagination captured on film. I began to volunteer in student films and began to work on various short films as well as work on any other projects I could throw myself into. I took classes to study the craft of film making/directing and then I experimented on my own. It was then that I realized that I wanted to bring my own ideas to life and not to sell out to someone else’s vision.
3. What is your relationship to the subject matter of the film?
From a young age I began to hear about a superman like warrior hero within my culture. I was amazed. I was taken over by these great stories and he happened to be Albanian, like me. As I got older, I still hung on to my superhero like my treasured comic books. I wanted to know more of him. As time passed, I read as many articles and books about him that I could find. Then I was introduced to a 1953 film that was made about him by the communist government of Albania and Russia that pumped communist propaganda into his story and left out one main element, and that was religion. He was Catholic and fought for the preservation of his Christian and ethnic identity. Being a Catholic and an Albanian, I felt a sense of connection and obligation to tell his story through the biography written by Marin Barleti. I think every Albanian feels a personal connection to this man and yet every freedom loving human being can appreciate his story.
4. What do you want the audience to take away from the film?
Watching the film, I want my viewers to walk away feeling a sense of pride for a man and a people who sacrificed everything for freedom.
5. When did you meet your collaborators? How did those partnerships come about?
I met Nua Gjelaj about 5 years ago. lronically, I purchased a painting of Scanderbeg on Ebay that was painted by him. I went to pick up the painting in person and began to have a conversation. I realized we had many interests in common including Scanderbeg. He was an artist/historian and I was an aspiring director. We set out to create a modest documentary that took on a life of its own.
6. How did you research for the film?
We had several avenues of research to go through; both western and eastern literature, interviews with historians worldwide and secret Vatican archives.
7. How did you decide on this particular scope, when there is so much to uncover about this time in history?
The decision was easy. It was about orchestrating the A to Z and coming up with the financing. This particular time and story in history begged to be told
8. How long did it take you to make this film from start to finish?
It took us four & a half years due to grueling fundraising efforts.
9. Where did you shoot this film?
A little bit of everywhere! Most reenactments were actually shot in Michigan. We did several outdoor reenactments at a state park and interiors were shot in a local studio. We then filmed in several other locations, such as various parts of Albania, Kosova, Austria, Italy, and in the U.K.
10. How do you think SCANDERBERG GJERGI KASTRIOTi; WARRIOR KING OF ALBANIA fits into your personal growth as a director? How will it affect your future projects?
I think the process of making this documentary film made me really appreciate the creative process even more so. Unfortunately it didn’t do anything for my patience. I learned so much about the filmmaking process and I think the lesson that I walk away with is that my next project will be more efficient, in all aspects of creation. I really got to dig deep and learn more about the subject matter and appreciate the challenges that came up to document this story.
11. What was your favorite part of making this film?
Working with people who shared the same passion to make a great final product the best it could be.
12. What was your most memorable experience about shooting the film? Perhaps a story or antidote from set?
The whole journey has been memorable, but one particular experience was standing in front of Scanderbeg’s helmet in a museum in Vienna. Now that’s it’s finished, he still remains an enigma to me.
Who is Nik Gjonaj (Director)
Nik Gjonaj was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1974, and is a son of Albanian immigrants. At an early age, reenacting comic book storyboards and watching movies sparked in him an interest that would eventually grow into a love for film and direction.
He studied political science and film at Wayne State University. His desire to learn more about filmmaking led him to Los Angeles, where he took various courses at UCLA, and worked on student and independent short film projects.
In 2001, family and personal obligations brought him back home to Michigan, where he would marry and manage the family business. During this time, a chance encounter with artist / historian Nua Gjelaj, would create a collaboration on an ambitious project, Scanderbeg: Warrior King of Albania.
In 2002, he established the production group, Illyria Entertainment.
Nua Gjelaj (Writer / Production Designer)
Nua Gjelaj, a son of Albanian parents was born in Montenegro in 1966. Stricken with polio as an infant, he spent most of his early years in a Belgrade hospital. Seeking a better life, his parents decided to take the family and immigrate to the United States.
Inspired by Albanian folktales and legends, he began to focus his energies into drawing and painting. This created an interest and desire to study history as well. He completed his Master’s Degree in History at Wayne State University.
From 1996 to 2002, he immersed himself in the disciplines of art, history and literature. In 2002, he met filmmaker Nik Gjonaj, and was convinced by him that the medium of film could best synthesize all the elements of a great story. This theory eventually led to the creation of Illyria Entertainment.
