ALBANIA: Albanians and Serbs co-operate on the film "Honeymoon", a sign of hope according to Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic

Record ID: 560834

  • Title: ALBANIA: Albanians and Serbs co-operate on the film "Honeymoon", a sign of hope according to Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic
  • Date: 18th December 2008
  • Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERBIAN FILM DIRECTOR GORAN PASKALJEVIC, SAYING: "I was amazed by Tirana the first time when I came here, because it's normal for a Serbian guy to imagine Tirana and Albania differently because it was somehow the country we never travelled. Many reasons. First of all, Albania was a closed country, and when it's opened, because of Kosovo problem and this hatred between Albanians and Serbs. It was always, not easy for the Serbs to come here or for Albanians to come in Belgrade."
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Albania
  • Country: Albania
  • Reuters ID: LVABLQDHUJDN6M414MASIHIDW0Z0
  • Story Text: They may be divided by geography and politics, but Serbs and Albanians share the same sour fate on screen when they go abroad in a first film collaboration between filmmakers of the two nations.

    "Honeymoon", made by acclaimed Serbian film director Goran Paskaljevic alongside the Albanian writing and producing team of Genc Permeti and Ilir Butka, follows the journeys of two young couples -- one from each country -- whose dreams of seeking success in Europe end in parallel lines of disillusion.
    The 61-year-old Paskaljevic said the idea for the film came to him after he began visiting Albania two years ago.

    "I was amazed by Tirana the first time when I came here, because it's normal for a Serbian guy to imagine Tirana and Albania differently because it was somehow the country we never travelled....Albania was a closed country, and when it's opened, because of Kosovo problem and this hatred between Albanians and Serbs. It was always, not easy for the Serbs to come here or for Albanians to come in Belgrade," he said.
    It was then he realised that Serbs and Albanians were very similar, despite the divisive nationalism fuelled by politicians.

    "We are Balkan. We are really similar in mentality. We don't know each other and I strongly believe that if we know each other better, we will understand each other better," Paskaljevic said.
    Albania and Serbia are at odds over the future of Kosovo, a former province of Serbia with a 90 percent ethnic Albanian majority that declared its independence in February.
    Belgrade considers Kosovo to be the cradle of its history and fiercely opposes independence. The 100,000 or so Serbs still living in Kosovo oppose the secession with the backing of Moscow and Belgrade. In 1999, Serbian troops accused of carrying out a campaign of killing, torture and destruction against ethnic Albanians were expelled from Kosovo by a NATO air war.
    Paskaljevic says he now has hope that the divisive relationship between the two countries can be improved, and the two countries need to collaborate.

    "The world is not divided by nations. It's for me, artificially divided by the nations and some politicians who push to the nationalism which is the really end of thinking for me. They push it because they use this situation to get the power easily," he said.
    Albanian producer and writer Butka says the cooperation shown during the making of the film should not be underestimated.
    "This is the first time it has happened and I believe it will not be the last time. Who better than artists are capable of building such connecting bridges of cooperation between countries with a charged political background?" he said.
    In the film, newly wedded Vera and Marko leave Serbia by train to go to Hungary, but Marko's name shows up on a computer as a war criminal and he is detained. Majlinda and Niku leave Albania for Italy, but Niku is also held on suspicion his papers are fake.

    "Honeymoon" stars both Serbian and Albanian actors, even first-timers, and cost 1.5 million euros, funded by Albania's Film Centre and Serbia's Ministry of Culture.
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