First joint Albanian-Serbian film coming in June
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Honeymoon is the work of young Albanian screenwriter Genc Permeti and renowned Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic. The latter's works include How Harry Became a Tree and Cabaret Balkan.
They had known each other for four years and discovered a shared passion for art and friendly relations among artists.
Once Paskaljevic showed interest in producing a film in Albania, "That was it!" according to Permeti. They devoted a year to writing the script, during which they consulted Albanian folk tales and boned up on cinematography. In addition, they cobbled together Albanian, Serbian, Italian, German and Swiss financing for the picture's 1.5m-euro budget.
The coming film depicts the history of two couples, Albanian and Serbian, who both yearn to emigrate to the inhospitable EU. Their journeys end in unexpected disappointments, according to Permeti, who did not want to reveal further details.
In an interview with AFP, Paskaljevic recounted how his filmmaking intentions came under attack from both Serbian and Albanian nationalists. Some Serbs "described me as a traitor", he remarked.
Permeti and Paskaljevic filmed on location in Serbia (Vojvodina province and Belgrade) and three Albanian cities (Mat, Tirana and Durres), as well as in Italy and along the Adriatic coast. They finished shooting in December and are now editing the film.
The two collaborators are aiming primarily at film festivals and the art-house crowd, though Permeti believes the universality of the film's narrative will appeal to all audiences. He also expects it to illustrate to Western Balkan filmgoers how much in common they have and how similar their problems are. Though the film is free of political content, he hopes it will indirectly encourage politicians in both countries to demonstrate more sensitivity toward their citizenry.
The cast includes a mix of well-known Serbian, Albanian, Kosovo and Italian actors. Permeti singles out young Kosovo performer Cun Dajci as his favourite, saying his "remarkable and especially original performance will surely be noticed". (SETimes.com)
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