Archive of films CHROMIUM / KROM
Albania / Kosovo / Germany / Greece
2015, 78 min
Section:
East of the West - Competition
Year: 2015
While a mute and lonely mother lives a life that is far from easy, she nevertheless bares her lot with dignity and courage. Her 15-year-old son is trying to stand on his own two feet, but in so doing he only complicates the grim situation in the family. This sensitive coming-of-age picture is the second feature from Albanian director Bujar Alimani.
Synopsis
For the film’s 15-year-old protagonist, illegal work in the chromium mines represents a turning point in his life that helps him to leave childhood behind and stand on the threshold of adulthood. A quiet boy, he lives in a small house on the edge of town with his younger brother and his deaf-mute mother. They are not bad off, but they have little money to spare. For the boy, the chance for extra income, though illegal and physically challenging, represents a path towards seeming independence, but he doesn't realize that the consequences of his decisions will influence his entire family. The only one he trusts is an attractive young math teacher whose similarly rebellious nature enables her to empathize with him. Perhaps she can help him realize that his rebellion won’t take him where he wants to go. In his second film, Bujar Alimani uses long and carefully composed shots to present a story in which body language and the characters’ internal experiences are more important than what is said. The film’s meditative mood emphasizes the director’s insight into the rarely easy process of growing up.
Anna Kořínek
About the director
Bujar Alimani (b. 1969, Patos, Albania) is a director, screenwriter and producer. He studied painting and theatre direction at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana. In 1992 he emigrated to Greece where he worked on several films as assistant director. His short films The Kennel (2002), Gas (Ygraerio, 2006), The Compass (Busulla, 2007) and One Love Story (Mia istoria agapis, 2010) received awards at numerous international festivals (including Tampere, Sydney, and Montpellier). In 2011 he filmed his feature debut Amnesty (Amnistia), which premiered at the Berlinale, becoming the first Albanian film to be screened there; it was also the first Albanian project to be financed by the Eurimages fund. The film subsequently screened at many other film festivals and won numerous awards.
Contacts
90 Production
Lagja 15 marsi pall 129, 9301, Patos
Albania
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.90production.com
About the film
Color, DCP
World premiere
Section: | East of the West - Competition |
---|---|
Director: | Bujar Alimani |
Screenplay: | Bujar Alimani |
Dir. of Photography: | Ilias Adamis |
Music: | Pjeter Gaci |
Editor: | Bonita Papastathi |
Art Director: | Emir Turkeshi Gramo |
Producer: | Tefta Bejko, Valon Jakupaj, Anita Elsani, Thanos Anastopoulos, Stella Theodorakis |
Production: | 90 Production, Gegnia Film |
Coproduction: | Elsani Film, Fantasia Ltd. |
Cast: | Frefjon Ruci, Klodjana Keco, Mirela Naska, Kasem Hoxha |
Contact: | 90 Production |
Guests
Bujar Alimani
Film Director
Anastasia Papastathi
Film Editor
Fredjon Ruci
Actor
Klodjana Keco
Actress
Mirela Naska
Actress
Bledar Naska
Actor
Ilir Butka
Film Institution Rep.
Kasem Hoxha
Actor
Stella Laknori
Film Crew