A film produced by students at the Academy of Film and Multimedia ‘Marubi’ under supervision by Swiss director Eric Bergkraut and Albanian director Kujtim Çashku debuted today marking the third event of the 25th anniversary week of the Swiss Embassy in Albania.
“Stories told through film can reach the young generation effectively and convey to them messages from the recent history. Dealing with the past means also learning from the past. With this we hope to contribute to the dialogue and debate this country is about to carry out about its recent past”, said Swiss Ambassador Christoph Graf as he opened the event.
Swiss director Eric Bergkraut received the inspiration to make a film about Albania’s communist past during his first visit in the country when he noticed an ambiguous stance towards the totalitarian regime. “All countries, not just Albania, have a past and have to deal with it. A documentary is the opposite of propaganda. This is in fact a film made by the students of ‘Marubi’ Academy”, said Bergkraut as he introduced the documentary.
Albanian director Kujtim Çashku co-led the making of the film and stated that “the documentary would not have been able without the support of the Embassy of Switzerland. I am glad to see here some of the protagonists of this documentary and to see the sons and daughters of some others”, said Mr. Çashku.
‘Dealing with the Past’ is a collage of 7 stories capturing the variety of experiences and opinions about the communist period. From the demolition of the Queen Mother’s cemetery to the execution of young Albanians who wrote poetry or listened to Western music, the stories evoke exceptional and painful experiences. 10 students of the Academy of Film and Multimedia ‘Marubi’ carried out the interviews, filming, and editing, while painter Maks Velo provided drawings that connect visually the different short stories.
After the screening a vivid discussion took place among a panel made up of Gentiana Sula, Head of Authority of Information on Former State Security Documents, Uran Kostreci, a former political prisoner, Robert Wilton, Deputy Head of the OSCE Presence, Orest Zeneli, a student who participated in the production, and Debora Kern, Head of Governance at the Swiss Embassy. The discussion was moderated by writer Luljeta Lleshanaku.
