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By:
Shaban Maxharraj
- April 24, 2024 08:00 am
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If Samir Karahoda does not look strong in public, it is the first sign that he is working. The same is likely with the next film. When he started to finalize it, he declared that "they have made a good film". A good film by its standards is one for festival signs. The news on Tuesday afternoon that "Rrugës" is in the running for the "Palme d'Or" at the Cannes Film Festival, where for the first time "Pa Vend" made Kosovo a place among the elite of cinematography, was a surprise. "It's a dream of many filmmakers...", Karahoda told KOHE, and the rest is history. Success stories and a chance for the grand prize
When Samir Karahoda starts a project, success is guaranteed. The most successful filmmaker of Kosovo, not a little silent and modest, is writing the next chapter of the cinematography of Kosovo in the world: the most glorious one. His film "The Road" is the second in a row that is in official competition for the "Golden Palm" at the Cannes Film Festival.
Karahoda, who focuses on social phenomena, with a completely local character, makes the cinematographers of the world amazed. Among 4 films, the selectors have selected 420 to be in the short film competition. "The road" is among them. This project returns Karahoda and Kosovo to the official competition of Cannes, after "Pa vend", which was there in 11. Despite the quick congratulations of the institutional heads - just after the news about the next success on Tuesday afternoon - the support of the state that the lowest.
The functioning of the state is the focus of Samir Karahoda's new film. It tells the story of a father and his son on their way to the airport to receive a gift from abroad, sent by the son's godfather. As they face bureaucratic obstacles and an uneasy prospect for real political and social change in their country, they find comfort and strength in their shared optimism for the future. The narrative begins with the director's own voice. The eldest son has experienced the procedural hassle of accepting a gift.
In the 15-minute film, the event is narrated by actors Ylber Mehmeti and Miron Karahoda. Besides Samir Karahoda, his son, Miron Karahoda, also wrote the script.
Karahoda: Everyone's dream, proud of the team
Through e-mail communication, Samir Karahoda on Tuesday from Spain told TIME that a selection in such a festival does not require too much comment.
"It is the dream of many filmmakers to be part of such a program as it is known that the selection is very rigorous, going through several stages", he said. He has shown that he feels very proud. "I feel proud of our team and actors and everyone else, where everyone gave their best despite the limited conditions we had. Once again, with this, we have proven that the big heart of the team members and the will of the film workers is more valuable than anything else," he said.
As for the film, he had previously shown that the event is based on an ordinary day when he and his son were on the way to the airport, to receive a gift from his son's godfather.
"During this 15-20-minute trip, we understand what is happening in Kosovo, the challenges of our society. One of the other topics is the topic of migration when we start with understanding the desire of small children who want to leave Kosovo since his close friends and his football coach have already migrated, despite the fact that the father insists that the birthplace has no other place", Samir Karahoda would confess at the beginning of March this year in the Kohavision show "On film" with author Edona Binaku.
His intention was to come to life as a portrait of current Kosovo. Characterized by minimal framing, this short film takes place in a car. The argument between the father and his young son is the center of the narrative. On the way from Pristina to the "Adem Jashari" international airport, through the discussion of the duo, the problems of Kosovo in 2024 are reflected, which undoubtedly coincide with global problems beyond the local context.
Karahoda is a master of giving local narratives a universal dimension. He has proven this in previous projects that have had great success as artistic documentaries. Now it comes with fiction.
The film is a production of "SK Pictures" with producers Eroll Biliban and Samir Karahoda. While the director of photography is Karahoda himself, the editing was done by Enis Saraçi. After announcing that the film will have its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival from May 14 to 25, co-producer Eroll Bilibani told TIME that the selection of the film is extremely important for many reasons, especially for a small country. like Kosovo.
Bilibani: Samiri has written history with this
"Samir has written history with this, because with the second film he worked on, he was again selected for the most prestigious festival in the world. For us as Kosovo and as a team, it is an international recognition, because the appearance in Cannes shows Kosovo's cinematographic talent on the global stage. It helps to challenge prejudices and this can positively influence the change of perceptions about Kosovo. It is also a kind of pride and a cultural inspiration, because such achievements bring national pride and can inspire others in Kosovo", said Bilibani. He mentioned that this news is coming just a few days after the "Special Recognition" that the Kosovo Pavilion received at the Venice Biennale and shows the artistic potential of Kosovo.
"On the other side is the further development of the film industry, because international exposure can attract even more investments in the film industry in Kosovo and we know that the KKK together with the MKRS are working for the return of investments and this can lead to the improvement of the infrastructure and can have an impact on increasing the production of films in Kosovo with a higher quality", said Bilibani. In his perspective, one of the important elements is the continuation of this networking that they have everywhere, because participation in such festivals can create relationships with other international producers and directors for joint projects.
"Such successes at the most important festival in the world, that of Cannes, can encourage governments to support more talent. This selection is not only a victory for us as a team, but also a great incentive for the growing film industry in Kosovo and for the traces that Kosovo's cinematography is leaving on the world stage", Bilibani said less than a month ago to start the 77th edition of the Festival, which this year will open with the film "Le Deuxième Acte" (The Second Act) by the French director Quentin Dupieux. In the category of feature films, there are 19 projects in competition.
Karahoda's film is in competition with "Volcelest" by the Frenchman Éric Briche, "Ootid" by the Lithuanian Razumaitė Eglė, "Sanki Olyssn" by the Azerbaijani director, Azer Guliev, "Les Belles Cicatrites" by the Frenchman Raphawl Jouzeau, "Across the Waters" by the Chinese Viv Li, "Perfectly a Strangeness" by the Canadian Alison McAlpine, "Tea" by the American Blake Rice, "Yellow" by the Brazilian André Hayato Saito, "The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent" by the Croatian, Nebojša Slijepčević and "Bad For a Moment" by the Portuguese Daniel Soares.
The jury of the category of short films this year is made up of the president Lubna Azabal, Belgian actress and members, the French director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, the Italian programmer Paolo Moretti, the French director Claudine Nougaret and the Serbian director Vladimir Perišić.
The wishes of politics and the desperate support of the state
Samir Karahoda's success has also been applauded by politics. The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, wrote on Facebook that Karahoda becomes the first director from Kosovo who has shown two different films in the competition of the Cannes Festival. He gave information in his own style, implying that he was close to the process.
"The film was written by Samir and his son, Miron, based on a conversation they had in the car on the way to the airport. Mironi together with Ylber Mehmet play the only two roles in the film. The film was edited by Enis Saraçi, whom I visited in the studio in February, while he was editing the film together with Samir," he wrote.
"The Road" has been supported by the Cinematographic Center of Kosovo, the European Cultural Television "ARTE" and the Finnish Television "Yle". The post of Prime Minister Kurti was shared by the Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku, adding the sentence: "Another fantastic news, the film 'The Road' by director Samir Karahoda is going to Cannes." Meanwhile, the Cinematographic Center of Kosovo has distributed the announcement of the film team itself. Regarding the support from the KKK, director Karahoda had spoken clearly.
"The support from the Cinematographic Center of Kosovo has been depressing, but thanks to the great heart of the team, we have achieved a good work," he said. Karahoda has never had proper support from the KKK. This project was supported with 20 euros.
With the documentary "Në mes" for the first time he put the name of Kosovo in the official competition of "Berlinale", one of the most prominent festivals of Category A, where it premiered in February 2019. With the second film project, "Pa vend" made history as the first local production to compete for the "Golden Palm" at the Cannes Film Festival in July 2021, where it had its world premiere. It became the first film from Kosovo that the Cannes Film Festival nominated for the European Film Academy Award. It was the first film from Kosovo nominated for the best European film. It was also in the running for the American Academy Awards. It didn't stop even in 2022, when it won the jury prize in the short film category at the Sundance Film Festival.
For the second time, this edition, the international documentary and short film festival "DokuFest" has become a partner of one of the most prestigious and traditional festivals in the world. As part of "Cannes Docs", "DokuFest" became part of the "Marche du Film" (Film Market), which is also the world's largest market in the field of cinematography. Cannes had also invited the Kosovar festival to the "Rendez-vous Industry" forum, dedicated to meetings with short film professionals, where director Samir Karahoda was there. In 2021, apart from the Karahoda film, Kosovo was also present with the world premiere of the film "Lions of the Hill", directed by Luana Bajrami within the "Director's Fortnight".
On the other hand, an actor from Kosovo also returned to the 2022th edition of the Cannes Festival in 75. Alban Ukaj was at the Festival as a result of his role in the film "Tori and Lokita" by brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Ukaj was in Cannes with a cinematographic project of the Dardenne brothers in 2008, when together with the actress Arta Dobroshi they starred in the film "Lorna's Silence", which received the Award for the best screenplay.
Karahoda returns.
“The number one reason I started making films is to address the injustices that are done to us in this society, as I think we are not aware of them. Through this film, several topics will be teased out, which will encourage people to think more", Karahoda would say to "Rrugës" at the beginning of March. It has already made Cannes selectors think twice. Undoubtedly, it will also do the public on the south-eastern French Riviera. And of course the rulers who indirectly affected the craftsmanship of Karahoda.
