Xhanfise Keko is an Albanian director of 12 artistic films for children who operated during the communist regime from 1952-84, and holds the title of People’s Artist received in 1984. She is the first Albanian children’s film director and a pioneer in the genre for our country. She has also received international awards and recognition.
Her beloved films are still viewed with sentimentalism and laughter in Albanian television screens even nowadays. The elders to remind the simple times, and teach simple lessons to their successors. Right and wrong, compassion, friendship, originality, bravery, listening to your parents, etc., are some of the themes surrounding the plots.
There are three films which are lately screened in Copenhagen. ‘Tomka and his friends’ and ‘Spoilt Mimoza’ were screened on Nov. 7, whereas ‘When a movie was directed’ will be screened on Nov. 9.
‘Tomka and his friends’ centers around Tomka, a small boy who likes to play football with his friends. The nazis however, enter the town and seize the field. Tomka and some elders start to organize actions against the military camp located in the field.
‘Spoilt Mimoza’ surrounds the life and attitude of a spoilt little girl who throws her friends out of her house, until she ends up alone and repentant playing with her inanimate dolls.
‘When a film was directed’ tells the story of little Gent who is distressed because his parents are separated due to microburgoise standing his father holds against his mother. This is happening while he is acting in a children’s film that is being directed in his town.
Albanian films of this era are being restored to project in contemporary forms. More and more films are getting out of the national archives, and are getting more international attention to a country which had a strict censorship against art, and when artists had to prove themselves more than just creative in producing and exhibiting their work./tiranatimes
