The national premiere of "Zgjoi" comes with the news that it is a candidate for nomination at the European "Oscar".

After the successes in well-known festivals, the film "Woke up" was also shown to the local audience. The film was received with tears of pride for the characters and the team and pain for the still unresolved fate of the missing persons during the last war in Kosovo.

The film "Awoke" was considered as a narrative that reveals the deep wounds that the last war inflicted on people's destinies, serving at the same time as an inspiration for survival. There are many who have eagerly awaited his appearance in the country. How to fulfill their desire, at least for one night, "Wake up", under the direction and script of Blerta Basholli, who is making a successful journey - which he started at the beginning of this year when at the "Sundance Film Festival" was rewarded in a triple way - it also stopped in Pristina. On Tuesday night, the national premiere was given at "PriFest", marking the launch of this year's edition of the festival with a 13-year tradition.

The film artistically elaborates the true story of a woman from the village of Krushë e Madhe, Fahrije Hotit, who is portrayed in the film by the well-known actress Yllka Gashi. The film was received with tears of pride for the characters and the team and pain for the still unresolved fate of the missing persons during the last war in Kosovo. The director Blerta Basholli did not hold back the tears either.

"We are crying tonight, Fahrija and the families who have missing persons cry every day and their families are waiting for them every day and still Fahrija and many others have not found their loved ones," she said.

According to her, Krusha e Madhe, but neither Kosovo nor people's lives would be the same without women like Fahrije Hoti, since their work, as she said, has caused women to be perceived differently and that their work serve society as an inspiration.

"Women like Fahrija have found the strength to work, first for their children, as Fahrija also says: 'So that they don't go down bad roads, because now it's getting late.' They have found the strength to survive in spite of prejudices, obstacles and many other difficulties that they initially faced as women", she said.

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Fahrije Hoti himself thanked Gashi for his noble portrayal.

"Thank you to the film team, I am very excited that I have seen the film and that everything that I, as well as the women of Krusha e Madhe, have experienced is portrayed there," she said.

The disappearance of her husband in the war is the beginning of challenges, sufferings and difficulties, in front of which the heroine of the film does not give up. The cast of the film includes the actors Chun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi, Kumrije Hoxha, Adriana Matoshi, Kaona Sylejmani, Ilir Prapashtica, Molike Maxhuni, Blerta Ismaili, Xhejlane Terbunja, Shkëlqim Islami and Astrit Kabashi. Many of them, like Kabashi, have seen the film for the first time.

"I wanted to see the film on the big screen and I believe that it will have great viewership as people have been waiting for this film for a long time", he said while adding that the story brings the triumph of Krushian women.

Basholli has mastered a compelling and completely classic story about overcoming adversity. According to director Zana Hoxha, the film is about the extraordinary resistance of a woman like Fahrije Hoti.

"She is a world figure, a world story of a resistance, a revival of a power found which is not a personal power but shared with many women who have really turned Krusha into a symbolic place of this revival" , she said. According to her, Basholli has already managed to leave her mark as a director in the country, but also in the world cinematography, with her debut feature film.

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"Zgjoi" has been described as an extraordinary drama based on true events of women who have been widowed due to the war, and who fight against the patriarchy. A story that, according to the actor Shkumbin Istrefi, has kept alive the desire to watch it for several months.

"I waited impatiently to see it because of the fact that it was also at 'Sundance' and won three awards. Curiosity was high and it exceeded all my expectations. I think it's a wonderful film, both as a film, as a script, but also as a story", he said while praising the actress Yllka Gashi in particular. The actress herself, who now lives in New York, America, did not have the opportunity to be present at this national premiere.

For actor Enver Petrovci, the characters of the film show the power and ingenuity of women in the country.

"The film evoked a sad atmosphere, but also joy. Sad for the event that happened in Krushë and joy because a beautiful film was released and a victory for Mrs. Fahrije. I don't even know why I didn't go on stage uninvited, but I needed to say that Albanian women are the leaders of our nation, of all things", he said.

The screening of the film in Kosovo has come with the good news that the film has been selected by the "European Film Awards", otherwise known as the 'Oscar' of Europe, as one of the candidates for nomination for the prestigious European awards of this academy. Producer Yll Uka has said that they have worked hard to reach the successes that they have already started to reap.

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"It is good news that we have been selected among the first films that have entered the competition and are to be voted for the best European film, the best director and the best actress, and so on. We have worked hard in this direction but also in the distribution of the film and we have achieved something that Kosovar films have not achieved before in terms of distribution as we have sent the film to more than 50 countries", he said. The film "Pa Vend" also won an award at the "European Film Awards". The short film from Kosovo, directed by Samir Karahoda, is the candidate of the Cannes Festival for this award of this academy.

"Woke up" was shown simultaneously on three screens. In the large hall of the National Theater of Kosovo, on a screen located at the entrance of the Theater and in the "Armata Cinema". It has been announced that the screening of the film will soon begin in the cinemas of the country. This year's edition of "PriFest" will last until August 29.