When you were born there were mainly WWII movies shown in your cinemas, about 8 films made in Albania per year and big reduction on imported movies.What led you to become a film director when you had such little chance to sniff real film art?

Very smart question I have never thought about it..

Film was very little industry and as you know our political aspect was very much connected with Eastern block.And mainly Soviet Union.Many of our film makers of 50´s and 60´s went there, studied there and came back..Some of them also went to Prague to FAMU and some of them went to Barrandov studio so we didn´t have very very strong background as you see so it was very difficult to start life as film director.

Theatre is small aspect that pushed me when I was in fourth grade and in fifth grade I started to play theatre myself.I used to go to cinema quite often when I was a kid.We had mainly Italian neorealist films which were very critical to the society and capitalism, we had very few American films like Charlie Chaplin and we had some French films as well.We also had some French comedies specially with Louis de Funés.So mainly we were able to see comedies, big historical movies like Spartacus with Kirk Douglas, Cleopatra and other big Hollywood films.I was not very fond of our own products because from my family part I had problem with politics. My grandfather was in prison, becaue he had some lend and they took everything from us.It was very cruel, very anti-human.The turning point for me was probably time at the university when I used to go to cinema very very often.I wasn´t truly convinced I was gonna be a film maker but it was huge attraction for me it was really driving me..When I was 17 I definitelly knew I am going to ExKino studio and won a competition there.Then I studied a drama at school, very good and classic school of Czech style but very efficient which meant that we were lectured and worked practically as assistant directors.So it was very important for me because we didn´t remain in theory.My mother didn´t have any objection on me doing so, my father died accidentally, as they say, when I was six years old. So mum pushed me for good.So all inspiration and motivation I got from very small local activity and access.Up until being 15 I never discovered how the film was made.

First Albanian film was made in 1952, your country was isolated due to communist regime so we wonder what were you taught on Film School in Tirana which you attended in 1989.Were you shown any real artistic movies from Bergman or Fellini?

By the time of 1989 we have seen almost all masterpieceses from film history.Most movies of Fellini we had in archives so we had an access to watch them.We also saw many Russian films which were outdated, but we weren´t forced to go and watch them.But there were some good films from Russia as was like „ Balad about the soldier“ or „ Cranes are flying“.So we saw best of world cinema.So it was complex situation in Albania.We were always pro Italian culture and against Russians.Our dictators never denied that latic culture or Italian cinema

should have an indication on us.The TV was banned but we could get some world greatest films via Yugoslavian television., which we could get. And it was my education in cinema, really.

Now with political changes, does state support film industry, do you have any ministry funds for which you can apply?Are there any schools or workshops where young enthusiasts are shown technology and way of film making?

We have big film center found in 1997 and it is separate institution, nothing to do with ministry of culture,it gets money from the state, we have small budget about 1 M dollars per year.There are two schools, one is private and one is in Academy of Fine Arts.It is amazing the speed how everything is changing in digital era.It is interesting to see that we have 3 generations of people apart from mine, we don´t have a middle generation which could be a potential and solid link between classic film making with film and video and only digital.I am not too optimistic if digital era would be the source of big talents to keep the continuity of the cinema.Classic cinema started to dissaper in terms of film making.Now with camera everybody can shoot.

Tell us about Marubi Film and Multimedia School which you founded in 2004?

I helped to establish Multimedia School but had disagreement with others of the way it should be run so I left in 2005 after being there for nine months.The school was very old and very unstructured, theoretical and they had about twenty students which was a lot and lately I have heard that it is not doing very well.I am not sure if this kind of minimalistic school could operate and work.If you want to know my personal opinion I am the one for established film schools.Film school is very serious, is very complexed I don´t like when you have school, you get kids, they are taught and then walk away. I like British or American format where you have say a class of Spielberg. or Miloš Forman.You have to have an example and someone who will tell you how to go on in the cinema.

Do you have any film studio or big location where foreign crews would come and film.Do you have any big international festival where big stars would come and promote their films?

Yes, one is ExKinoStudio and two private studios in Tirana.In November or December we have Tirana Film Festival which in show the big foreign movies in the best cinemas in town.. We also have two minor film festivals and in our studios we eg. had German crew filming their TV serie Cobra in March.It is moving for better but we don´t have say American crews who would come to Tirana and make cheaply their movies.

James Belushi has Albanian roots and he comes to Albania every now and then.Is there any known cooperation between him and Albanian film makers?

I never met his personally, he was in Tirana many times but what I heard was that he only made there some commercials for mobiles, got the money and went to America, that´s all I know.

What kind of movies are made in Albania these days?

Mostly we make feature films, dramatic feature films, some comedies but nothing for children.We make some animations for them but very few but no feature film at all.We also make very few documentaris and we are suffering on that front.There are only about two film makers who are competing internationally, I am one of them.

What was so special on your film Tirana Year Zero which had a success in Venice?

It is very brutal and very true. It also has a style that is slowly dissapearing.In Italy that call it not neo realism but neo neo realism.

Is there any platform for independent film in Albania, any festivals, places to swap and show films, distribution net, places to borrow cameras and equipment cheaply to be able to start filming?

No, not at the moment but they are starting to build it this year and I had an important meeting with person who wants to make it.I have been to film center and they have a small budget for that so it is a good start.

We have read that after tasting crop of new foreign films many Albanians rather returned to watching old movies from communist era.Why was that?

We are flooded by American trash films also have some very unsuccesful Albania films, some bad commercial ones too which built this nostalgia for old movies which in fact doesn´t work.

I talked about that with many people and as soon as you see these old movies, there is no impact at this time. And it´s no cinema in it. That´s the way how they filmed theatre.

Is there any other place of film activities bar Tirana, what is the normal budget for Albanian films and what is the success of the film in terms of viewers in cinemas?

We have only Tirana as a place for film industry. No indication of other places doing something.Budget is about 400 000 euros and forget about any ratings for film success. The best films are seen by maximum of 30 000 and it´s success.