"Anibari" of animation of a generation of animators

Far from defining animism as an early form of religious belief, animation as an etymology has to do with animating or animating characters. But "Anibari" is not just a festival that brings films from all over the world. He produces. He has inspired a new generation of local animators and this is his other powerful side. Everything started with a young man knocking on the doors of the Festival, the organizers reacted by founding the Academy. The Academy has produced 50 animators so far, four of their films are shown this year. And the story continues...

Six years ago, Argjend Haxhijaj, as a 13-year-old, was already finalizing the animation he had titled "Planet earth". He had no formal training in animation. As a child, he used to draw. Even his parents - as a sign of stimulation that art is a worthwhile craft - sold their son's works to family members at symbolic prices. But Haxhijaj would soon move to another level.

He wanted to see cartoon characters in action. So in animation. That's why he was interested to see many lectures online. He came across the book "The Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams, where he learns the basics of animation. He would print this book, a copy of which he still has at home. But in April 2017, it was not enough. After working on his animation, he would be interested to see if there are any courses available to learn more.

"Sister Alberina, who worked as a culture journalist, told me about 'Anibar' and I took the bus and went and knocked on the doors of the Festival. First, I entered the Cinema and didn't find anyone, then I went upstairs to the offices of 'Anibar', where the staff, Petrit Gora, Vullnet Sanaja, Arba Hatashi, were and I asked them if they hold courses for animation", says Haxhijaj, now a 20-year-old boy, a final year student of thermo-energetics and renewable energy. And at the moment of his request, the big turn of the "Anibar" organization, which has been organizing the International Animation Festival in Peja for 14 years, would take place.

The tap of a new chapter

Arba Hatashi, director of the Festival, describes the moment of the meeting with Argjend Haxhijaj as a "wake up call". "He told us: 'You do the Festival, but where can I go to an animation course?' And, he took out the book he had printed from his bag", Hatashi confesses. Argjend Haxhijaj would be immediately engaged in a workshop that had already started. And from there, the idea for the Academy of Animation would start. Atashi says that the case with the young Haxhijaj made them realize that "Anibar" had already penetrated further and people were interested in him.

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"It started in Peja in 2017 and was aimed at the 'Stop Motion' technique. It has been taught for three months. The first students are people who now work with 'Anibar'", Hatashi confesses. Then, in 2018, in cooperation with the Directorate of Culture in the Municipality of Pristina, the Academy of Animation will be launched in the spaces of the city library "Hivzi Sylejmani". Now the products of the Academy are already tangible. But it is not only about local animations, which are a derivative of this type of school, but also about the spirit that has brought together with the festival.

This year in the category of "Musical Animations" there are three films from Kosovo. It is about "Ninulla F" by Flaka Kokolli, "Këtu - Different Dreams" directed by Flaka Kokolli and Nora Yusufi, as well as "T'huj" by Lorna Cekixhi and Joan Kamberaj. Kokolli is a tutor at the Academy of Animation.

As a child he was very interested in art. Her father would bring her to "Anibar" when she was 14 years old. She would become a part of the workshops and then she would engage as a volunteer.

"Then I went to 'Metropolitan University' in Budapest", Kokolli confesses. In the Academy, which this year hosts the seventh generation of students in Pristina, they learn the basics of animation and the things they can use to make animation and live from this art.

“Students go through the process of how to make a movie. They learn about script, dramaturgy, character design and so on. We learn how to animate 'frame by frame'", says Kokolli. Generation students during the days of this year's edition of the Festival in Peja are in the workshop where they are finalizing the sound design and post-production. At the Academy, they work in groups of three.

"They work in groups more in order to give them the feeling of the industry, so they know that they will work with others and they should also let loose and listen to different ideas", says Kokolli. Initially, there were not many applications to the Academy. But then the voice of this informal educational institution had already started to echo.

"Over 40 people apply and we usually get 12. Now the generations are much more talented. Access to technology has become easier now. They are better prepared and the productions are coming out much better. Even we tutors are improving day by day, since we are young", says Kokolli. She already lives from animation. She often tells her journey of how she became a part of "Anibar" as a child.

Creation from nothing

Young people and children have had the opportunity to see animations for their category every day. On Tuesday, they had the opportunity to see the film "Roots" by Finesa Peja. She was part of the first generation of the Academy in Pristina.

"Roots" elaborates the story of that natural occurrence. The love of two plant creatures causes them to become one. Beyond that, it also evokes the sympathy of the new generations for nature.

"Pipa, a little plant creature, is plucking the petals of a flower. She looks happy and full of life. As she begins to chase a butterfly, she crashes into a tree and falls into the arms of Pop, a rock creature, and they fall in love. As their hands come into contact, they turn into a single root, connecting their bodies together," the short's synopsis reads. This is how the event unfolds. Along with the effects and music, "Roots" is one of the indicators that young Kosovans are quite creative in animation.

With this animated film, Peja graduated from the educational institution "Lissa" in Paris. Already at the age of 16, he had become part of the Animation Academy.

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"The film is about a relationship where two characters who are very close to each other start to affect each other very badly. They go to the point where they find out that it is better to be apart than to be together", confesses Peja, after a series of films shown at "Kino Liqeni". She says that she wants to continue working as an animation director in the future.

"Animation is one of the mediums that gives you the greatest possibility of expression. It creates something out of nothing. You have no limit. He creates the character, the story, the scenes without being limited by the real world at all", said Peja.

"Anibar" brings together the real and the unreal world. It has this power. During the days of the festival, the sight of parents and grandparents sending their children to watch animated films is hopeful. The unreal world of "Anibar" includes the dreams of the creators, who sit next to the devices and send different messages through their characters and stories.

They inspire creativity and stimulate new talents. In addition, there is another unreal world for "Anibar". It is what creates the conspiracies of those who spend most of the day in the cafes of Peja and give opinions ranging from neighborhood issues to world geopolitics. Such a spirit can be observed in various premises in Peja, especially this year due to the theme of this edition "Love/Dashni" which focuses on the LGBTIQ+ community. In the cafes of Peja, if you happen to hear that, unlike the previous editions, this year "it is better to go to the festival parties, as there are many parts of the LBGTIQ+ community". There are even stories to the point that situations occur when a seller in the kiosk tells the buyers that "the police arrested a bus with 50 people coming from Albania to 'Anibar', as they all possessed narcotic substances". Unconfirmed stories and fiction can even come into the animators' work some day when dealing with gossipy topics of those who go around with coffee spoons in their mouths. But "Anibari" is different. At least that is his mission.

The land of freedom

In four cinemas, films are shown in 9 categories, of which 7 are competitive. There are many stories. They touch on various topics, from human rights to nature issues. Peja breathes differently these days. The guests of the festival give it another charm, but also learn more about the western city of Kosovo. The spaces used by the festival are alive, while the parties bring melodies and music from different countries of the world. There the guests also learn more about Albanian music, as in the case of Edona Reshitaj's concert on Friday night, when she sang some of the pearls of light music. "Anibar" has no intention of stopping. On the contrary.

"Since we started with the Academy, first in Peja and then in Pristina, more than 50 students have completed it. The program continues to be free. We believe that education should be free. Now those who have completed it have their own companies, they do work inside and outside of Kosovo. And about 20 percent of them have continued their studies in animation abroad. Despite the conditions we have, we are giving them a lot to work with. We strongly believe in their potential and we believe that animation has a future in Kosovo", says Arba Hatashi.

Argjend Haxhijaj is an example of this. The young man who took the decisive step for "Anibar" to have an Academy, now works for the company signs in addition to his studies. As a video editor, he deals with projects all over the world, mostly with "UI/UX design" web page animations.

"From the first contact with 'Anibari' I managed to get more involved in the world of animation. "Anibari" has enabled me to meet excellent animators from all over the world and learn about the latest trends and techniques in this field", says Haxhijaj, who is now a part of the festival. He has shown that he got his initial knowledge from websites on the Internet and the impossibility of going outside Kosovo to get knowledge because of visas was solved by "Anibari".

"'Anibari' has filled this gap. It has enabled me to meet fantastic lecturers and animators, such as: Mari Jaye Blanchard, Ivana Boshnjak, Thomas Johnson and Andy London", says Haxhijaj. He is a creative type who is lazy to talk, especially about himself.

He described "Anibar" as the place where his love for animation developed and took hold, as the place where he met people who share the same love for this field of visual art.

"There I felt free to express my imagination and to show what I like and what I care about. It's more than an academy and a festival, it's a haven where you can be yourself," he says.

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"Anibar" makes this fight and invites everyone to run after the love they have for people and different fields and gives courage to those who want to be themselves. Especially this year, he does it loudly through the theme "Love | Love".