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Kulturalink and Kino in der Reitschule are planning a series of events in September 2020 in Bern. The month of September will be dedicated to movies produced in Kosovo and the Diaspora, tackling different aspects of kosovar (and european) society, such as migration, gender roles, etc.

Society is reflected in movies and in turn, movies influence society by changes in representations and transforming viewers’ opinions. The films have been selected for their potential to reflect the struggles and desires of a young nation located on the geographical and political margins of Europe.

“Transforming the way people see the world through film” is our mission statement, and we endeavor to inspire audiences to express themselves and their cultural perspectives through the shared experience of the moving image — regardless of ethnicity, ability, or socioeconomic status.

An important goal of this project is to invite director to the screenings, giving them the opportunity to give further insight into their work and to interact with the audience.

This cultural event is organized mainly on a voluntary basis and takes place in a non- commercial cinema. The selected films are from producers who share our values.

This event is part of a project initiated by Kulturalink, aiming to build cultural bridges between the Balkan region and Switzerland, and it has its long term goal on co- building this cultural bridge with other partner organizations from that region, with the purpose to create connection and exchange programs for artists and youngsters in general, who use artistic skills, such as: photography, video, theater, fine art and music, as a tool for promotion and understanding of Social Culture and enhancement of critical thinking.

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Trapped By Law (2015)

An odyssey, coming of age and family separation story of two brothers filmed in course of five years since the law of “forced reintegration” have been signed between Kosovo and Germany and other EU states.

 

Kefaet and Selami, two young brothers and rap artists grew up in the hip-hop culture in Essen/Germany.

Kefaet was born in Kosovo and taken by his parents to Germany at the age of four. He was married and has two children. Selami was born in Essen and has never been to Kosovo at all. During a dramatic night in March 2010, they are deported to Kosovo, a complete unknown country to them. Separated from their family and friends they try to cope with their situation and do everything in their power to return to Germany. But administration and asylum laws are standing in their way.



CREDITS

Writer & Director:    Producers:                      Co-Producers - Germany:
Sami Mustafa            Sami Mustafa                   Erik Winker

                               Charlotte Bohl-Mustafa     Martin Roelly  

                                                                       Andreas Brauer       

                                                                                     

Co-Producers – Kosovo/USA:                         Editors:

Antoneta Kastrati                                             Carina Mergens              Casey Cooper Johnson                                      Nicole Kortlüke

Cold November (2018)

In the beginning of the '90s, Yugoslavian Government cancelled the autonomy of Kosovo, dissolved its Parliament and closed down the National Television. Whole institutional life was reorganized by new authorities, while the majority of citizens responded with peaceful demonstrations.

 

During this evil time, Fadili who is working as an archivist has to choose between two options, being aware that both of them are wrong. In this way, he involuntarily and unwillingly, 'swallows' the shame, endures the pressure coming from all sides and deals with the bad reputation for just one reason: to provide welfare for his family.

CREDITS

Writer & Director:       Producers:           Editor:            Ismet Sijarina              Fatmir Spahiu        Vladimir Pavlovski 

                                               

Music: Petrit Çarkaxhiu

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Pick a Name (2018)

Nora (20), an immigrant single mother is exploring alternative ways to avoid deportation from Czech Republic, after her asylum is refused.

CREDITS

Director: Dritëro Mehmetaj
 

Writers:  Doruntina Bashaj

                Dritëro Mehmetaj

Stars:     Doresa Rexha, Florela Shala,        

               Mensur Safqiu

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Zana (2019)

Zana is the story of Lume, an Albanian woman who lives with her husband, Ilir, and her mother-in-law, Remzije, in a Kosovar village. She lost her only child a decade earlier in the war and is now haunted by night terrors and unable to get pregnant. Desperate for a child, the family abandons modern medicine and seeks a traditional healer who can cure her.  Lume undergoes elaborate rituals and exorcisms to rid her of the black magic that is causing her infertility. But when she finally becomes pregnant, her dark wartime past comes back to torment her and her unborn child.          

CREDITS

Director:        Antoneta Kastrati
 

Screenplay:   Antoneta Kastrati

                       & Casey Cooper Johnson  

Producer:      Casey Cooper Johnson  

Co-Producer: Dritan Huqi, Sevdije Kastrati

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CREDITS

Camera & Director:       Production:           Editing:              Music: 

Ilir Hasanaj                      Rina Kika                Isabella Kohl      Arbër Salihu

                                   

Me Dasht' Me Dasht' Me Dasht' (2017)

Three young people—an artist couple on the verge of a breakup and the filmmaker's apathetic brother—visit three cities over three months as part of an
ambitious and transformative art project that creates musical and performance pieces inspired by the question, What do you believe in?
Travelling from Pristina to Belgrade to Zurich, each one tries to answer this central question in their work and their lives, only to have more questions spring up: Can a person change? How do you create your own inner universe? What is your purpose?
There's power and pleasure in participation, whether as an artist, spectator or person simply questioning the world. To Want, To Need, To Love provides a close encounter with creativity and shows how love is the energy behind all forms of art, creation and
curiosity.


The filmmaker follows three participants in an ambitious performance art project - including his own apathetic brother and a couple on the verge of a breakup - as they travel from Pristina to Belgrade to Zurich, inspired by the question: What do you
believe in?

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Ajo (2018)

In  the  hospital  Zana’s  mother  should  be  silent  and  not  tell  a  word  to  the  police  about  what  happened  to  her.  Zana  has  to    make  a  courageous  decision,  for  both  of  them.         

CREDITS

Director: More Raca
 

Producer: Sunaj Raca

Co-Producer: Alexander Akoka              

 

Cast: Aurita Agushi, Florist Bajgora,

          Bekim Mulaj, Sunaj Raca, Diella Valla       

              

Project partners: 

 

KINO in der Reitschule
Neubrückstrasse 8
3012 Bern
email: kino@reitschule.ch

Kosovo Cinematography Center

UÇK Street Nr. 273, 10000 Prishtina Kosovo
email: info@qkk-rks.com

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