"Shame and Money" is welcomed at Sundance as an extraordinary narrative

"Shame and Money" has cut the ribbon on the journey of its narrative. The feature-length film directed and written by Visar Morina has lit up the screen of the Sundance International Film Festival, on Sunday morning according to local time there. "Everything has gone wonderfully," said actor Astrit Kabashi. The same thing was confirmed by co-producer Eshref Durmishi. "There were people who cried and it was really extremely well received. We hope that the film will be well received in the coming days and we hope to receive some awards," said Durmishi. Co-production between several countries reveals a sensitive topic from Kosovo

With its world premiere at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, "Shame and Money" has cut the ribbon on the journey of its narrative. The feature-length film directed and written by Visar Morina has lit up the screens of the Sundance International Film Festival, on Sunday morning according to local time there, and in the evening according to European time. The film team that was present at the screening has announced that the film has been extremely well received. This time the world of cinema has gathered in Sundance for the 42nd edition of the famous Festival. 

"Everything went wonderfully," said actor Astrit Kabashi, who plays the lead role in the film. Immediately after the premiere in the United States, Kabashi apologized for his immodesty and said that the film was extremely well received.

"I believe the American public was amazed, even though I was afraid that European cinematography would be slow for them, but the opposite happened," Kabashi told "KOHA" from Utah in the United States of America, where the film revealed its story to world cinematographers for the first time. Other members of the team confirmed that the film was received with very good reactions.

The film's co-producer, Eshref Durmishi, said after the premiere that the reception was extraordinary. 

"There was a standing ovation about five minutes after the premiere. The atmosphere was fantastic, the hall was full, just like for other shows, the seats were completely reserved," he said. While describing the atmosphere, he said that the audience stayed after the film and asked questions, showing that they really liked the story. Some of them were even deeply moved.

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"There were people who cried and it was really well received. We hope that the film will be well received in the coming days and we hope to win some awards," said Durmishi. 
At the Category A festival, "Shame and Money" will have another performance today (Monday) and on January 29 in Park City, Utah, and on January 31 in Salt Lake City. 

Film screenings are taking place in Park City and Salt Lake City, two mountain tourist destinations known for hosting more tourists than residents. 

Actor Astrit Kabashi, who plays the main role of Shabani in the film, said that the presentation at this festival was extraordinary.

"I think this presentation is extraordinary for us as a team and for Kosovar cinematography, because it is one of the most prestigious festivals in the world of film. This is the second time for Visar Morina to be presented at this festival, first with the film 'Exil' and now with 'Shame and Money'", he said, considering the collaboration with director Visar Morina special.

"Collaborating with Visar is always special for me, it is the fourth film I have worked with him, and for me it is a great fortune to have had the opportunity to work with him and I wish that other Albanian actors have this fortune as well. It is also a great fortune for Kosovo cinematography, because Visar has helped this cinematography a lot to be promoted all over the world," said actor Kabashi. 

The 130-minute film is about the proud, traditional head of the family, Shaban, who must use his mother's savings to keep the family afloat. The plot explains that his pride is constantly bruised and his dignity is slipping. 

"...Shaban approaches an invisible edge – raising the question of how much longer he can endure," it reads, among other things.

Astrit Kabashi's role drives the narrative towards the crossroads of the choice between pride and survival. The film project, a co-production between Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia and Belgium, is described as a "well-crafted portrait of hardworking people striving for a decent life while navigating relentless pressures and chronic instability." 

The central story is about a family from Kosovo, which, after losing their livelihood in the village, is forced to move to the capital. There, the confrontations and difficult life choices begin. Morina wrote the script in collaboration with screenwriter Doruntina Basha, while the producers are Fabian Altenried, Sophie Ahrens, Kristof Gerega and Pia Hellenthal. The film's co-producers are Eshref Durmishi, Besnik Krapi, Danijel Hoçevar, Dritan Huqi, Marija Dimitrova and Marc Goyens. 

Durmishi said that their presentation at "Sundance" is being welcomed. 

"As we all know, it is one of the most prestigious festivals in the world and a key that opens the doors to other festivals to come. We are very happy to be part of the main competition and to hold the world premiere of our film 'Shame and Money' at Sundance," Durmishi told KOHĪN, describing the atmosphere at the festival as extremely dynamic. 

"The atmosphere at the festival is extraordinary, there is a large audience and this is a special edition, because it is the last one held in Park City and the first one held without the physical presence of one of the founders of the Festival, such as Robert Redford," Durmishi said before the premiere. 
This edition of the festival is the first to be held without one of the festival's founders, Robert Redford, who helped transform the festival into a unique arena for independent filmmakers and creators from marginalized communities. Redford died on September 16 of last year at the age of 89. 

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In the film, the financial pressure on Shabani as the head of the family increases. Although his mother and brother-in-law offer to help, accepting this help breaks his pride. 

From the film crew, actresses Kumrije Hoxha and Fiona Gagica, as well as the film's co-writer, Doruntina Basha, were also present at the premiere. Co-producer Eshref Durmishi, who also has a role in the film, announced that part of the team from Germany was also there, since the film project is a co-production between Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia and Belgium. 

Actress Flonja Kodheli plays Hatixja, Shaban's wife. In the film, in addition to actors Kumrije Hoxha and Fiona Gllavica, Alban Ukaj also plays one of the central roles. Other roles are played by Aria Shala, Riga Morina, Melika Gashi, Selman Lokaj, Teuta Hajdini, Abdinaser Beka, Rebeka Qena, Tristan Halilaj, Basri Lushtaku, Rafet Abazi and Besnik Krapi. 

According to Sundance’s description, director Visar Morina approaches this complex story with great precision and confidence. Their website states that the film “is a masterclass in nuanced performances, especially from the leads. Astrit Kabashi and Flonja Kodheli, who play Shabani and his wife, Hatixja, with grace, sensitivity and deep humanity.” 

The film is in the official competition of the “World Cinema Dramatic Competition”, among ten cinematographic projects in this category. The jury of this category consists of the Argentine actress, screenwriter and director Ana Katz, the Korean-American director Yong Kim and the Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany. 

The festival will feature awards in the categories of local and international narrative and non-fiction films, short films, and the "Next" category, as well as the Audience Award. They will be presented on January 30 at The Ray Theater. 

Director Morina was also part of the official competition at the “Sundance Film Festival” in 2020 with the film “Exil”. The cast of this film also includes Astrit Kabashi and Flonja Kodheli. The film tells the story of Xhafer, a chemical engineer originally from Kosovo, who feels discriminated against and harassed at work, which plunges him into an identity crisis.

The prestigious festival is considered the leading exhibition in America for independent narrative and documentary films from around the world. The program of this edition included about one hundred films. Its reputation in the world of cinematography has been created as a result of selecting films for originality, powerful narratives and authorial vision and not for large budgets invested in films or for world-class actors in the cast, according to the festival's evaluations. 

For this edition, according to data, the festival has received over 16 applications to be part of the program. Of these, 255 were feature-length films from 164 countries.

Kosovo cinematography has a history at the world's most famous film festival. 

In 2012, the film "Kthimi" directed by Blerta Zeqiri won the Jury Prize for short film, then in 2021, the film "Zgjoi" directed by Blerta Basholli received three awards: the Jury Prize, the Best Director Prize and the Audience Award. A year later, the film "Pa vend" by Samir Karahoda won the Jury Prize in the short film category. 

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The Sundance Film Festival is billed as “the ultimate meeting place for original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices and fresh perspectives.” The event also features director talks, panel discussions and other events. Starting in January of next year, the Festival will move from Utah, where it has been held since 1978, to Boulder, Colorado.

And the film "Shame and Money" is also expected to be in motion, opening the window of its narrative into the cinematic world that is closely linked to Albanian tradition.