"The Wind" in New York with the fight for dignity and identity

The film, which is a co-production between Kosovo and North Macedonia, tells a personal story that reveals the collectivity of a dark time for Albanians: the 90s and the expulsion of Albanian workers from the Pristina Radio and Television, and the story of this story will be reflected at the “Brooklyn Film Festival” in New York. At the center of the film is a journalist, played by the famous actor, Alban Ukaj, and his daughter, Era – the character from whom the film is also titled – interpreted by the actress Zana Berisha. Through a sensitive narrative stripped of melodrama, “Era” sheds light on the personal struggle for dignity, survival and identity, at a time when everyone was forced to rebuild their lives from scratch.

“Era” brings to the screen a painful piece of Kosovo’s history. Today (Monday) the world premiere of the feature film “Era”, written and directed by Parta Kelmendi, will be given, in an event that is expected to gather well-known names from the artistic and cultural scene. The film, which is a co-production between Kosovo and North Macedonia, tells a personal story that reveals the collectivity of a dark time for Albanians: the 90s and the expulsion of Albanian workers from the Pristina Radio and Television, and the story of this story will be reflected at the “Brooklyn Film Festival” in New York.

The film, written by Parta Kelmendi, is produced by Afërdita Saraçini-Kelmendi, in co-production with Viktor Pavlovski and Marija Dimitrova and Belma Bajrami, and includes a cast of well-known actors from Kosovar cinema such as Zana Berisha, Alban Ukaj, Armend Smajli and Irena Aliu, Majlinda Kosumović, Avni Sohodolli, Blin Sylejmani, Blerta Gubetini and others.

"I wanted to tell a story where freedom will breathe in a very limited world. When in crisis, people usually turn to what they know best, namely traditional values. People would think that those values ​​would keep them safe, but they only limit you further. It is a story that shows the struggle to raise your voice in a world where everyone is lost and silent, a story about courage, resilience and rediscovering yourself, going through extraordinary circumstances and emerging strong and courageous to face the future that lies ahead," it is written about director Kelmendi's impressions in the film's announcement on the film festival's website.

At the center of the film is a journalist, played by the famous actor Alban Ukaj, and his daughter, Era – the character from whom the film is titled – played by actress Zana Berisha. Through a sensitive narrative stripped of melodrama, “Era” sheds light on the personal struggle for dignity, survival and identity, at a time when everyone was forced to rebuild their lives from scratch.

One of the strongest scenes in the film is the forcible expulsion of journalists from the RTP building, under police blows and violence. At the bottom of the stairs, one of them is waiting for his daughter, who cannot fully understand what is happening, but feels that something has been broken once and for all.
For Parta Kelmendi, this is her first feature film to be released to the public. Born in Pristina, she studied film directing at the University of Pristina and her short film “Birth Does Not Ask When” won the Best Albanian Film Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

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Actress Zana Berisha, when filming began, said that it was challenging for her as a young actress to play the role of a girl she had not really known, but through this role she had felt the weight of that time. While actor Alban Ukaj admitted that many of the scenes in the film seemed like vivid flashbacks to his childhood, when his father, Shefki Ukaj, had been a journalist himself during that dangerous time.
The film's lead actress will participate in the film's premiere within the framework of the festival where Kelmendi's film has been selected.
"The premiere is on June 2 at the 'Brooklyn Film Festival in New York'. The film has been selected to participate in this festival and is a world premiere. From the film crew, Zana Hoxha, who is the main actress in the film, will participate," said director and screenwriter Parta Kelmendi in a response to KOHĖN.

Interest in this debut is huge, and expectations from the team are high. After participating in international festivals, “Era” is expected to begin its theatrical release in the region in the coming months.

"The tickets have already been sold, so we expect the public to enjoy it and why not even receive some kind of reward since we are in official competition. For now, we will only attend festivals and cinemas in Kosovo, we hope to arrive in early October and then we will go to North Macedonia and Albania," Kelmendi replied.

Through the character of Agron – an Albanian journalist who faces institutional exclusion and violence – “Era” attempts to recreate the atmosphere of tension of that time, when many media workers were forcibly removed from their jobs and persecuted because of their ethnicity. The film serves not only as a reminder of a painful period, but also as a tribute to those who remained voiceless, disappeared or forgotten in the history of the suppression of free speech. Through the narrative of a father who tries to protect his family in the midst of personal and professional turmoil, an intimate scene of a collective reality is created.

More than for the journalists of the time, the film wanted to focus on the girl going through difficult times and through her to reflect the time when other families in Kosovo had almost the same fate.

"The film is not just about the journalists of that time, the theme is about a girl who goes through the vicissitudes of that time, misses school, while her parents are journalists. It is about the time and families in Kosovo as they experienced such a political crisis, which occurred in the early '90s," she added.

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During filming in April 2022, a part of the heart of Pristina was turned into an occupied zone for several hours. Militia “Zastava” cars and military armored vehicles took up residence in the Radio Kosovo building, which had been “transformed” into RTP, surrounded by members of the Serbian special police units. 

And at a time when freedom of expression and the safety of journalists are once again being questioned in many countries around the world, “Era” sensitively recalls a dark chapter in our history that is still fresh, where free speech turned into danger and honest work into courage. The film is not only a narrative about the past, but a call not to forget how fragile freedom can be when the violence of state structures takes concrete form. Through a personal and family story, “Era” raises its voice for those who were once silenced by violence and invites the viewer to reflect on the price that has been paid for the right to tell the truth.