If you count yourself among the hidden treasure hunters or year by year you break down your own ‘how many movies I can watch at TIFF’ record, you’ll be amazed by the stories that have been included this year in Focus Albania Section.
Three important titles and many courageous approaches are ready to surprise you in the next days, for the 18th edition of the festival.
Recently included in the archives of the American Congress Library, Tomka and his friends tell the story of a football enthusiasts group of friends. The Nazi invasion catches them on the football court and they decide to establish their war camp on the spot. With the help of his friends and parents, Tomka, the main character, will sabotage every action of the enemy, the movie having a propagandistic touch, accordingly to its era. It can be seen at Cinema Marasti, on Monday, 3d of June, starting 19.30.
Albany’s proposal for the 2015 Oscars is Bota (directed by Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci), invites you in the same name bar, where dozens of characters from all social categories pass each other’s’ lives. A very actual tragicomedy about lonely souls haunted by history’s ghosts, the movie points an aura of space and time dissolving. A series of bizarre events will shake the calm of lives that enchanted the characters.
In 2014, the movie won the Fedeora award at Karlovy Vary, and it can be seen at TIFF, 4th of June, 10.00 am, Arta Cinema.
The most recent title from the Albanian dedicated section, Black Days (d Gentian Koci), won the Heart of Sarajevo trophy back in 2017, award taken by the actress Ornela Kapetani. Following the same year, the movie was Albany’s proposal for the Oscars and also a well remarked movie during Europe’s festivals. Giving you a sock dose of social realism, the director’s debut represents an intimate drama about the main character’s sacrifices in order to have a shelter.
Discover the story at Sapientia Cinema, 4th of June, 15.30,ora at the French Institute on Monday, 5 June, 22.00 hour.
And if we already made you crave after albanian specialties, we invite you to discover the hypnotizing mix between the brits from TransGlobal Undergroung and the Tirana Marching Band from Albany. The Kabatronics will concert first timpe in Romania at the Students House of Culture, on Monday, 3 of June, starting 19.00.
This musical universe that the band builds gradually, is a combining of kaba rhythms from South of Albany, flavored with raggae, sitar sounds and electronic beats.