TIRANA, Jan. 11 – Albania will for the first time participate in the prestigious Berlin International Film with “Amnesty,” an Albania-Greek-French co-production directed by Bujar Alimani. The feature film has been officially selected to compete in the International Forum of New Cinema – or Forum – the most daring section of the Berlinale programme, where the movie will have its world premiere.
Financially supported by the Council of Europe European Cinema Support Fund, Eurimages, the movie was shot in Albania and Greece in the autumn of 2010.
The movie starring Albania’s Luli Bitri and Karafil Shena, tells the story of Elsa and Shpetim. “Both have imprisoned spouses in Albania, who they visit every month. They meet and fall in love, but when the Albanian government decides to give amnesty to 200 inmates including Elsa’s and Shpetim’s spouses, they are forced to return to their previous lives.”
The movie will compete in the Forum section along with avant-garde, experimental, essays, lengthy observations, political reportages and yet-to-be-discovered cinematographers. In the Forum everything new or unconventional comes together and finds an audience known for its enthusiasm and discerning cinematic eye.
The 61st Berlin International Film Festival will be held from February 10 to 20, 2011. About 400 films are shown every year as part of the Berlinale’s public programme, the vast majority of which are world or European premieres.
Bujar Alimani
Scriptwriter – Director
Bujar Alimani was born in Patos, Albania in 1969. He studied painting and stage direction at Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana. In 1992 he immigrated in Greece. He worked as an assistant director in several Greek films. He lives and works in Athens.
He was awarded with CineCinecourt Cinecinema Award in Mediterranean International Film Festival Montpelier, France 2007, a Special Jury Prize in the Siena International Film Festival, Italy 2007 and a Special Mention Prize in Mediterranean Int Film Festival- Tetouan Morocco 2008.
