New documentaries on Skanderbeg, ’91 exodus

TIRANA, Jan. 19 – The Albanian National Center of Cinematography approved this week financial support to two documentaries dedicated to Albania’s national hero Skanderbeg and the 1991 exodus of Albanians after the collapse of the 45-year communist regime. A project on a documentary on the Manakis brothers who were the first to shoot in Albania back in 1906 was turned down because not bringing anything new.
The Skanderbeg documentary, directed and written by Vladimir Prifti brings an overview on roots of Skanderbeg, who successfully ousted the Ottoman armies from Albania for 25 years until his death in 1468.
The two approved documentaries, financially supported by 2.5 milion lek (25,000 dollars) each, will be ready to make premieres by November 2012 when Albania celebrates its 100 anniversary of the declaration of independence. “The figure of Skanderbeg has been treated in several viewpoints, based on established historians who have studied and continue studying Skanderbeg’s era,” members of board selecting the movie told local media.
Meanwhile, the second documentary called “Guideline on crossing the Sea,” written by Blendi Fevziu and directed by Roland Sejko brings back the 1991 experience when dozens of thousands of Albanians fled the country, mostly to Italy through Durres Port in search of better life after the fall of the communist regime which left Albanians in extreme poverty and complete isolation.
Last year, the Albanian National Center of Cinematography (ANCC) became a member of European Film Promotion (EFP).
Founded in 1997, the ANCC supports the development, production and distribution of films which have a potential to achieve international recognition, thereby enhancing the cultural identity of the local film productions and improving the economic viability of its cinematography. Since 1997, around 167 different projects – 37 feature-length films, 20 short feature films, 63 documentaries, 39 animated films, and eight film festivals – have been backed by ANCC. The main mandate remains the development of new cinema of artistic value.
“The wealth of Albanian cinematography is, unfortunately, widely unknown so far to most of the world”, states Artan Minarolli, chairman of ANCC and EFP representative. “We believe that our EFP membership and the concentrated experience of the network will help us promote our talented directors, producers, actors and actresses on an international level, and also will widen the possibilities for European co-production and distribution of our films. At the same time, we also believe that we can make our own contribution to this European organisation.”
Recent important films coming from Albania include East, West, East: – The Final Sprint by Gjergj Xhuvani, Time of the Comet by Fatmir Ko詬 and Alive by Artan Minarolli.