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.
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
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
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
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?
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
