KOHA Group and "DokuFest", a quarter of a century of journey together

“DokuFest” turns twenty-five this year. For nine days in early August, the old town of Prizren becomes a long cinema: 224 films in a dozen venues, selected from a record 3,687 applications. What began in 2002 as a plan to save the city’s dying cinemas is now the defining documentary festival in the Balkans. Meanwhile, this material shows how the KOHA Group, over the years, has been close to this festival in every edition.

When in the summer of 2002 a group of young people decided to set up an open screen in Prizren, few would have imagined that that initiative would turn into the most well-known film festival in Kosovo.

From a small activity with projections in improvised spaces, the festival grew year after year, until it transformed into an event that makes Kosovo an international meeting point for artists, directors, and film lovers.

On this journey, the KOHA Group, in addition to reporting, has been a witness and supporter of its growth.

Since the first editions, KOHË reporters and cameras have been present on the streets of Prizren, in cinemas, in discussions with directors and artists, and at every moment that has marked the history of "DokuFest".

Today, after more than a decade, those who presented it, produced the chronicles, direct links and interviews, return to recount the emotions, energy and unique atmosphere that characterized this festival.

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Journalist and activist from Prizren, Fisnik Minci remembers the supplement "DokuDaily" and "DokuKronika" as the two platforms that brought the festival closer to the public.

"The quarter-century of 'DokuFest' is of course also related to the joint journey with the KOHA Group that has enabled the wide audience to be informed about the activities during the festival, for more than a decade, i.e. there has been a close collaboration between the KOHA Group and 'DokuFest', both with "Doku Kronika" and with "Doku Daily" which was then a supplement that was released during the festival days together with 'Koha Ditore' and all of this has enabled the local and international public to be informed about the activities taking place in connection with 'DokuFest', but it has also been a platform for various filmmakers to present their films, their work, and their careers in the various KOHA Group shows", emphasizes Minci.

"The work of a journalist is always related to deadlines and as always, this has been one of the great challenges since it was necessary to carry out and follow up on many activities in a limited time, but all of this was done with pleasure and seeing the result in the end has enabled me to engage more in this direction," he adds.

Minci says that it is always exciting, as he emphasizes, "especially when it conveys different stories from different filmmakers from different countries of the world, bringing authentic stories about events all over the world, but also the courageous work of many filmmakers, of many creators, who have also inspired local colleagues to follow in their footsteps and do important work."

"For me, it was a special feeling, given that since the pandemic, there are no more printed newspapers, they have remained as a kind of pawn, but it has been a pleasure at the same time for all those years to create such a reporting format," he states.

Even the former executive producer of "Kohavision", Dardan Selimaj, who during his time as part of the KOHA Group has broadcasted 18 editions, says that as challenging as it has been, it has also been a pleasure.

"DOKUFEST has been traveling with KOHA for 25 years since the beginning, from the beginning I was not part of KOHA, I was much younger, I was somewhere in high school, and I was able to follow on the screen reports that were broadcast on 'Kohavision' shows or articles that were broadcast on KOHA. In 2005 when I became part of the KOHA Group, in the first two years the reporting was integrated into the existing shows, 'Express{, the morning show, the central news editions and not only, even in 2005/2006 there was no special show for 'DokuFest', which was later created and called 'DokuKronika', and when it was created it was one of the most challenging moments for me, I was a young journalist and I was lucky enough to produce the show dedicated to the festival, it was broadcast at 11:00 PM, and "For about an hour we conducted interviews with musicians, 'DokuNights', and the jury. Then it continued like that, it developed, then the terms changed but they always took place from the first day of the festival to the award ceremony. Initially I was alone and then members continued to be added to the team. Each other team member who was added to the show added other colors," emphasizes Selimaj.

He greatly appreciates the media support for "DokuFest" at that time.

"Out of 25 years of 'DokuFest', I have had the opportunity to cover 18 editions, of course KOHA has covered it in every edition. Media support has been very important because the festival at that time was not as popular as it is today, of course, but at the same time, today it has become one of the most important festivals in the world. It has been an honor for us to grow together with this festival. I am glad that I had this opportunity. Together with KOHA, I have grown and learned more about this festival and to interview people who have left their mark, directors, screenwriters, but also musicians. Some of the interviews that have remained in my head and mind are interviews with the Iranian director, the photographer... there have been many... they are interviews that I highly value in my career in journalism," declares Selimaj.

"There were 10 days of staying in Prizren, not in Pristina, reporting in conditions and circumstances not of television, not in the era of digitalization... but perhaps they did all of this and distinguished it from other shows, so it was special," he adds.

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A few years later, Dardan Selimaj invited journalist Ana Rrustemi to become the presenter of "DokuKronika".

For seven consecutive editions, she experienced the festival up close, reporting every day from Prizren.

"In June 2012, I officially started working at KTV, a young journalist with prosthetics, not knowing much about the media world, but I had experience in the Klan. When I came here, the morning show was immediately transformed and took the name 'SOT' and with many twists, from one moderator to 4/5. Less than two months went by, and 'DokuFest' started, and Dardani called me and said 'Ana, this year, you will come and host 'DokuKronika'. At that time, I was only following it from my apartment and I didn't have much experience," emphasizes RRustemi

"We went with the KTV team, 13 of us were there, we stayed there, every year when we went they said KTV came. The only problem we had was sleeping because we were with the camera on the whole time, we were always filming, we conducted interviews with locals and internationals. We probably stayed until 5 in the morning because 'DokuFest' also has a music festival, we slept two or three hours and had to wake up early in the morning to connect with the morning show, we were the window, showing what awaits them today at 'DokuFest'", she adds.

KTV's executive producer, Rea Surroi, says that since day one, "Kohavisioni" has been an inseparable part of "DokuFest", covering the festival on television and on the pages of "Koha Ditore", through the "DokuDaily" supplement.

“In 2002, in a very fragile, economic, political reality, with little certainty, ‘DokuFest’ was established in the city of Prizren and since that day ‘Kohavision’ has been there. What this means, i.e. we have been throughout these 25 years, we have followed every edition of this festival, starting from television, which means television coverage, i.e. the opening of the festival, staying there throughout the entire duration of the festival, following all the segments of the festival, exhibitions, discussions, musical evenings, screenings of documentaries in different places in the city of Prizren, talks with filmmakers, famous artists coming from all over the world, so this meant the television coverage of ‘DokuFest’, while, while we also had ‘Koha Ditore’, i.e. the newspaper, we also had the supplement that was made especially for this festival, i.e. ‘DokuDaily’, but when the printing of the newspaper was stopped, this was also stopped. This means the support that "We have made DOKUFEST an important cultural event in the country throughout all these years," Surroi declares.

She recalls that along with the festival, the reporting technology changed, but not the dedication of the team, which every year brought to the screen not only the agenda, but also the atmosphere and energy of "DokuFest".

"So, over the course of 25 years, a quarter of a century, we have gone through different stages of technological development, both 'Kohavision' and 'DokuFest', so the way news is broadcast has changed a lot over the years, during the time we have been following it, at a time when the internet was slower, less advanced, all the stories had to be broadcast within a day, material had to be taken to the scene, so we would go with our team of almost 20 people from the directing team and on the spot the materials were edited which were then broadcast in the classic form. At that time the technology was not very advanced whereas now it has been simplified quite a bit, not to say on the spot but within minutes it is edited and broadcast. This is a very important thing for us to be present and connected every night and bring the atmosphere, the summaries of the events that were happening that day., that is. they were always accurate. What is worth mentioning is that through our screens, also through the newspaper we "We tried to bring not only the agenda, but also the atmosphere. Before 15,20, even the team covering these events were in their 20s, at a young age, and we brought that energy, that great will and that enthusiasm," Surroi adds.

A special moment, according to her, was the participation of "Kohavision" in the 2014 edition with the film "There is Light Inside", which competed in the "Balkan Docs" category.

"In 2014, 'Kohavision' participated in 'DokuFest' with the film we produced ourselves, 'Brenda ka krije', the life and artistic work of the artist Labinot Halilaj, who is now world-famous. We screened it at the 'DokuFest' festival, we competed in the 'BalkanDocs' competition and it was a real thrill," Surroi emphasizes.

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A quarter of a century later, "DokuFest" continues to bring filmmakers and stories from around the world to Prizren.

And with it, KTV remains where it has been since the beginning, to document each edition of the festival that has now become part of Kosovo's cultural identity.