Naber recalls the first time he went to Albania with a "minibus and a video camera" was in 2001, when he started to develop a fictional story "based on what might be the research for a documentary." He chose Albania because of "its European location and the need to change the prejudices about a country with special history." Naber was convinced that "Albania needs a chance in Europe, and therefore we need to overcome a heap of clichés!"
The center of the €1.2 million German-Albanian co-production became young Arden who wants to marry his beloved Etleva, but does not have the money for the old traditions expected of him. Dreaming of earning it before his girlfriend gives birth to their child he joins the nearly one million illegal immigrants in Germany.
The project found important supporters. Boris Schönfelder from "Neue Schönhauser Filmproduktion" contributed €585,000, giving a 61.78 % participation to SWR (www.swr.de) / Arte (www.arte.tv). Another €170,000 (17.94 %) came fromMedienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (www.medienboard.de) and the €161.30 (17,03%) came from theFederal Film Fund (www.ffa.de). The Albanian co-producer Dritan Huqi from On Film Production brought €250,000support from theAlbanian National Center of Cinematography(www.nationalfilmcenter.gov.al).
The main shooting took place between September 1 and December 20, 2009, in Berlin, Tirana and the mountainous village Bayram Curri, with additional seasonal shots in Albania.
Naber, for whom the discovery of the main actor Nik Xhelilaj (Alive, Artan Minarolli, 2009) was a "lucky chance," explained that "no scene without Nik exists in the film," adding, "assisted by the script, the actor defined the character himself".
The world premiere took place on June 24, 2010 during the Moscow IFF. The Albanian received two "Silver George" awards: one for Johannes Naber (special prize of the jury) and one for Nik Xhelilaj (best actor). The new recognition of Albanian talent comes after Arta Dobroshi‘s 2008 international success in the Dardens' brothers Lorna's Silence in Cannes.
The Albanian will be distributed byKinowelt GmbH. (www.kinowelt.de)
Script: Johannes Naber, Andeta Spahivogli, Christoph Silber, Alexander Steimle
Director: Johannes Naber
Director of Photography: Sten Mende
Art Director: Ina Timmerberg
Costumes: Juliane Maier
Music: Oli Biehler
Editing: Ben von Grafenstein
Producers: Boris Schönfelder, Dritan Huqi
Cast
Arben: Nik Xhelilaj
Etleva: Xhejlane Terbunja
Slatko: Ivan Shvedoff
Ilir: Amos Zaharia
Damir: Stipe Erçeg
Arben‘s father: Çun Lajçi
Arben‘s uncle: Luan Jaha
Arben‘s mother: Fatime Lajçi
Arben‘s gradfather: Vasillaq Godo
Etleva‘s mother: Yllka Mujo
Etleva‘s father: Guljem Radoja
Sali: Bruno Shllaku
Florenç: Julian Deda
Nicola: Eva Löbau
Pharmacist: André M. Hennicke
Driver: Tomek Nowicki
Asian girl: Young-Shin Kim
Edon: Hazir Haziri
Production contact
Neue Schönhauser Filmproduktion GmbH
Producer: Boris Schoenfelder
Neue Schönhauser Str. 19,
10718 Berlin
Germany
Tel: + 49 (0)30 - 34391021
Fax: + 49 (0)30 - 52135649
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On Film Production
Co-Producer: Dritan Huqi
Sh.p.k.,Rruga e Sami Frasheri
Pall Agimi, shk 19, ap 336
Tirana
Albania
Tel: + 355 42 223 830
Fax: + 355 69 20 56 175
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