PRESS KIT
PRESS KIT
PRESS KIT
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a film by Artan Minarolli<br />
Albanian nominee for<br />
Foreign Language Oscar<br />
<strong>PRESS</strong> <strong>KIT</strong><br />
Durres Film Festival 2009<br />
Special Jury Prize<br />
WILDart FILM<br />
Pfeilgasse 32/1 Phone: +43 1 595 29 91 office@wildartfilm.com<br />
A-1080 Vienna Fax: +43 1 595 29 91 21 www.alive-thefilm.com<br />
Austria Mobile : +43 664 396 64 55<br />
Karlovy Vary<br />
International Film Festival 2009<br />
Pusan<br />
International Film Festival 2009
Press Kit Alive!<br />
ALIVE! a film by Artan Minarolli<br />
ALB / A / F 2009, 90min, 35mm, color<br />
www.alive-thefilm.com<br />
World Premiere Karlovy Vary IFF, 5 July 2009, selected in the section East of the West<br />
Albanian Premiere Durres Film Festival, 27 August 2009<br />
Theatrical Release Albania, 5 September 2009, Imperial Cinema<br />
Festivals Karlovy Vary IFF, Durres FF, Pusan IFF, Antalya IFF, Bergen IFF, Montpellier<br />
IFF, Balkan Snapshots, Connecting Cottbus IFF, Chennai IFF, Pune IFF,<br />
Palm Springs IFF, Film d’Amour de Mons IFF, Belgrade IFF, CINEMA<br />
MUNDI Brno IFF, Cleveland IFF, Tiburon IFF, International Festival of Medi-<br />
terranean Film Tetouan, Minneapolis/St.Paul IFF, Festival of European<br />
Coproductions Sofia, Moscow IFF, Lato Filmow Warsaw IFF, Scottsdale IFF<br />
Awards Albanian nominee for Foreign Language Oscar<br />
Special Jury Award, Durres<br />
Prix du soutien technique GTC, Montpellier<br />
Don Quichotte Award – Federation Internationale des Ciné-Clubs FICC,<br />
Cottbus FF<br />
starring Nik Xhelilaj, Xhevdet Feri, Besart Kallaku,<br />
Bruno Shllaku, Niada Saliasi, Luli Bitri,<br />
Tinka Kurti, Reshat Arbana, Eni Çani<br />
written and directed Artan Minarolli<br />
director of photography Jacques Bouquin<br />
editor Oliver Neumann<br />
sound Hjalti Bager-Jonathansson, Daniel Fritz<br />
art design Mihal Rama, Ylli Beqiri<br />
composer Baptiste Bouquin<br />
producers Artan Minarolli, Ebba Sinzinger,<br />
Vincent Lucassen, Marie Balducchi<br />
There is cramming and getting laid in Tirana. But all of a sudden the student is caught up by an archaic<br />
world which claims that he is a part of it. When his disabled father dies, a blood feud is being<br />
revived and he is held liable for a murder committed by his grandfather 60 years earlier. At first he<br />
endeavours to bring his opponents to their senses. As this proves futile, he – in the course of events -<br />
becomes increasingly paranoid and, unwillingly, starts to resemble his opponents. When he decides to<br />
arm himself and train, the notion of a modern present dissolves into melancholy. The student is catapulted<br />
into an Albanian reality that is devoid of all romantic folklore. In a country where until recently<br />
Hoxherian despotism and a grisly mountaineers’ mentality were ruling alongside, there is neither a<br />
right to a “modern” every day life nor the possibility of escaping to such, while the insistence on tradition<br />
is leading directly into catastrophe as well. Thus, Artan Minarolli’s heroes shipwreck on their own<br />
great expectations.<br />
2
Press Kit Alive!<br />
Logline<br />
In a country where tradition is constantly at war with modernity, a student is forced to assume responibility<br />
for an ancient crime. He is thrust into the gruesome, feudal heart of contemporary Albania.<br />
Short synopsis<br />
Koli, a college student, hides in the countryside to escape a blood feud, but soon realizes he has to<br />
go back to his school, to his life in the city, at the risk of confronting his assassin and involuntarily, he<br />
becomes a reluctant mirror of his country’s love-hate relationship with tradition.<br />
Synopsis<br />
Koli is studying languages at Tirana University, but according to the old code of honour “Lek Dukagjine”,<br />
vengeance hangs upon him for a killing his grandfather committed some 60 years before.<br />
Koli gets courage and travels to the family that holds the claim of vengeance against him, somewhere<br />
in a distant mountainous region. The elders of the family take him in as a guest and treat him hospitably.<br />
His destined assassin, a boy with a clean and pretty face, sits in their midst. When Koli asks for<br />
reconciliation, he is rejected. He is told he has “Besa” (“word-keeping”) for three days only, after this<br />
vengeance will again be upon him.<br />
Koli has no choice but to seek shelter with his relatives Zef and his son Fike in a village not so far from<br />
Tirana. Fike is about Koli’s age and the two of them get along quite well. Fike gets Koli a job at the<br />
local car-wash. But he cannot accept that his life should suddenly have stopped, and when he finds<br />
his presence in the village actually endangers the others, he decides to take whatever risk there is, and<br />
returns to Tirana to the university, Diana, to life.<br />
Now Koli can study, he has his girlfriend, but he is now easy to be found and the assassin’s bullet can<br />
hit him any second. Koli gets a gun and starts target practice, to be able to defend himself. He secretly<br />
carries his gun everywhere, even into the study-rooms of his university. Diana understands him less<br />
and less every time. He is not the Koli of the old days anymore.<br />
His assassin makes an attempt on his life. In a reflex, Koli fires back, the assassin is killed, while Koli is<br />
wounded in the leg. Koli is looking closely at the beautiful face of the dead assassin. He unbuttons his<br />
shirt and realizes that his assassin is female. The family has grown up the girl like a male because she<br />
was in charge for this revenge. The only thing he can do now is to disappear, flee the country. He gets<br />
a ride on an old ship which smuggles illegal immigrants, and gets into the crammed hold. As a result of<br />
an accident the ship sinks.<br />
“My film isn’t about killing and getting killed; it is instead born out of the need to show the colors and<br />
the complexity of a world in transition towards something mysterious and beautiful.” Artan Minarolli<br />
Director/Screenwriter Artan Minarolli<br />
Born in Tirana, Albania, Artan Minarolli is a graduate of the University of Albania, Albafilm, and the Film<br />
School in Denmark. He has worked as an actor and director in theater and film, as well as in documentary.<br />
His filmography includes The Moonless Night (2004), The Clay Bullet (1995), and 100% (1994).<br />
3
Press Kit Alive! 4<br />
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT<br />
In 1998 a cargo ship with hundreds of illegal Albanian emigrants being trafficked towards Italy’s shores<br />
went down in the Adriatic. Most of them perished. Among those trying to move on to a better life was<br />
college student Koli. He was fleeing his country to get away from a blood feud. This is how the screenplay<br />
was born.<br />
Koli, the main character, is threatened by a death sentence. He suddenly turns into the victim of an<br />
old customary law that keeps devouring human lives. Innocent, he is nevertheless to be punished by<br />
death.<br />
The mountaineers, somber and stern, can’t but accurately repeat what they have inherited from their<br />
ancestors. They consider promises as sacred and their personal dignity as untouchable. According to<br />
the customary law known as “Lek Dukagjini’s Canon”, “man only lives for an inch of honor on his forehead”,<br />
and “where honor is concerned, life is worthless”.<br />
In stark contrast, life in places like Zef’s village is ruled by cheap practicality. People and cattle move<br />
about together. The indoors are a mixture of tradition and urban kitsch. The inhabitants, usually shorter<br />
than the mountaineers, look apprehensive, talk too much, gesticulate and curse. They are cheerful, optimistic<br />
and funny. The real genuine drama for them is life itself. I’ve met people who have told me that<br />
it is just fine to have a single problem only; the real trouble is when you start having more than one.<br />
When Koli arrives in Zef’s village, time stops for him and his personal drama. He‘s outside of present<br />
reality, outside of his own problems. This moment plays like an aparté inside the initiactic travelling of<br />
Koli and also, the film falls into comedy.<br />
Tirana is the capital, where an effort towards civilization can be felt. Some streets are genuinely modern,<br />
people try to dress up and act like in the Western world. But people have moved in from all over<br />
the country, and the resulting tableau is often puzzling. With a lot of building work going on, city blocks<br />
often resemble construction yards. The energy sizzling around seems to be due to an overall will to get<br />
closer to the Western world, and make up for the time lost during a half century of totalitarianism. The<br />
city has discovered modernity as noise and chaos.<br />
College students represent the peak of local evolution. They have no special relationship with the totalitarian<br />
past, nor with the transitional efforts during post-communist years. They are the future, smart<br />
and civilized. It is impressive to think that the mountains, with their medieval customs, are only a few<br />
dozen miles away from the city. Still,among students, tales about Customary Law are often considered<br />
amusing or droll.<br />
The mountaineer’s world with its old social system; the village in the plains and the capital city are<br />
three different aspects of the same noisy, chaotic and disjointed tableau of the present-day Albania.<br />
Koli, a modern hero, unites in himself all three aspects, becoming the principle holding them together.<br />
Women take different places in the three different worlds mentioned above. Diana, Koli’s girlfriend,<br />
comes from an urban middle-class family in Tirana. She doesn’t have much in common with Fatime,<br />
Fikja’s girlfriend from the village. Fatime, who is gullible and naive, is not allowed to go out with boys,<br />
unless they come to her house and meet her parents first. The third girl is the Handsome Mountaineer,<br />
whose gender is only revealed at the end of the film. Detached from modern life, she must pass for a<br />
man in order to enforce the death verdict on a victim she doesn’t even know.<br />
As the main visual staple, landscapes help the film breathe, filling it with movement and life. The film’s<br />
narrative is headed towards tragedy, but it often stops along the way to show us rich romantic<br />
tableaus.<br />
Artan Minarolli
Press Kit Alive! 5<br />
CURRICULUM VITAE<br />
Artan Minarolli director, producer<br />
born May 13, 1958, Tirana<br />
Education<br />
1978-1982 Graduated from the University of Tirana-Albania,<br />
majoring in Fine-Arts, speciality actor<br />
1990-1992 Graduated in film directing at Albafilm Studio, Tirana<br />
1993 Graduated in film directing at European Film School–Denmark<br />
Work experience<br />
1983-1986 Worked as actor and theatre director<br />
1986-1990 Worked as as film director in 8 movies produced by Albafilm Studio,Tirana<br />
1991 Director of the documentary “For a centimetre“<br />
1994 Scriptwriter and Director of the short feature “100%“ (in collaboration)<br />
1995 Scriptwriter and Director of the feature “The clay bullet“ (in collaboration)<br />
2004 Scriptwriter and Director of the feature “The moonless night”, an Albanian-France<br />
collaboration<br />
Other works<br />
1997 Published a volume with short novels entitled “The Corpse of a Telephone“<br />
1998 Organised, in the producer quality, Eurofilm Festival in Tirana - Albania<br />
Prices<br />
2004 “The moonless night” was awarded “The best film” in MedFilm Festival-Roma, Italy<br />
2005 “The moonless night” was awarded “The best foreign film” in Trenton Film Festival,<br />
New Jersey, USA<br />
2006 “The moonless night” was awarded “The best music” in Napoli Film Festival, Italy<br />
Other prices and special honours<br />
1991 “Menzione Speciale“ for the documentary “For one centimetre”<br />
in the International Sport-Film Festival in Torino<br />
1996 The movie “The clay bullet“ was selected in the International Film Festival of<br />
Cottbus-Germany<br />
1996 The short movie “100%“ was selected in the International Film Festival of<br />
Trieste-Italy<br />
The movie “The clay bullet“ was awarded the “Cup of the President“ in the Eurofilm-<br />
Festival of Luhashevic-Czech Republic<br />
1998-99 His projects for long movie “The Professor goes for a little walk“ (1998) and the<br />
project for long movie “The moonless night” (1999) were selected in the International<br />
Concourse of Projects in Montpellier, France<br />
2003 His project for the movie “The Journey” was awarded “Price For Developing” in<br />
Balkan Fund-International Film Festival of Thessalonica-Greece
Press Kit Alive! 6<br />
His feature “The moonless night” was selected at<br />
2004 Rotterdam Film Festival – World premiere<br />
Moscow Film Festival – Official Competition<br />
Valencia Film Festival – Official Competition<br />
Pusan Film Festival – International Section,<br />
Bordeaux Film Festival – Official Competition<br />
Thessalonica Film Festival – Balkan survey<br />
Montpellier – Perspective<br />
New Delhi – International Section<br />
Beograd Film Festival – non competitive festival<br />
Skopje Film Festival – Non competitive festival<br />
Oslo Film festival<br />
Sarajevo Film Festival – Competition Off<br />
2005 Tautan Film Festival, Morocco<br />
Wiesbaden Film Festival – Highlights<br />
MedFilm Roma – Official Competition<br />
Trenton Film Festival, N.J, USA – International Section<br />
Naples Film Festival – Official Competition<br />
Black Sea International Film Festival, Rumania – Official Competition<br />
Alexandria Film Festival, Egypt – Official Competition
Press Kit Alive! 7<br />
CURRICULUM VITAE<br />
Nik Xhelilaj Student at the Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana Albania since 2003<br />
born 1983<br />
Film<br />
SORROW OF MADAME SCHNEIDER LEADING ROLE: Lek Seriani<br />
104 Min, fiction, 2005/08, Albania, Czech Republic<br />
D: Piro Milkani, Eno Milkani, P: Bunker Film, Studio Fama 92,<br />
Festivals: Karlovy Vary 2008, Valencia 2008, Salento, Italy 2008,<br />
Poland 2008, Palm Springs 2008, Durres IFF, Albania 2008<br />
SINGLE USE - 25Min, Short film, 2005, Albania LEADING ROLE: Bledi<br />
D: Erion Mucollari<br />
ALIVE! (Gjalle!) LEADING ROLE: Koli<br />
90 Min, fiction, 2008, Albania, Austria, France<br />
D: Artan Minarolli, P: ARTFILM, Albania, WILDart FILM, Austria,<br />
Agat Films & Cie , France<br />
Theatre<br />
KËMBANAT E MUZGUT (Sunset’s bells), leading role: Lieutenant Llukan<br />
National Theater, Albania, 2007<br />
D: Alfred Bualioti, Andon Qesari<br />
STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (Tennessee Williams), leading role: Stanley Kovalsky<br />
Fine Arts Academy, Albania, 2007<br />
D: Timo Flloko<br />
TANGO (Slavomir Mrozek), leading role: Arthur<br />
Theater “Aleksander Moisiu”, Durres, Albania, 2008<br />
D: Driada Dervishi
Press Kit Alive! 8<br />
CAST<br />
Koli Nik Xhelilaj<br />
Diana Nijada Saliasi<br />
Fikja Besart Kallaku<br />
Zefi Xhevdet Ferri<br />
Mediator Arqile Lici<br />
Rok Bruno Shllaku<br />
Pool‘s girl Luljeta Bitri<br />
Fatime Eni Çani<br />
Tiku Romir Zalla<br />
Fatime‘s Eldest Brother Gentian Zenelaj<br />
Fatime‘s brother Julian Deda<br />
Fatimes‘s younger brother Ermal Mamaqi<br />
Fatime‘s grandmother Tinka Kurti<br />
Koli‘s friend Mario Deda<br />
Koli‘s sister Rozina Prendi<br />
Fike‘s sister Flonja Kaba<br />
Fike‘s little brother Franko Hoti<br />
The guy with the sunglasses Kasem Hoxha<br />
Ilir Florian Binaj<br />
Fredi Xhejni Fama<br />
Keti Esela Pysqyli<br />
Laura Lisa Kujofsa<br />
The godfather Reshat Arbana<br />
Coffeeshop owner Avni Rada
Press Kit Alive! 9<br />
CREW<br />
No less than 15 nationalities were involved as crew in the creation of this film!<br />
Production<br />
Production Albania AL ART FILM<br />
Delegate Producer AL Artan Minarolli<br />
Production Austria AT WILDart FILM<br />
Delegate Producer AT Ebba Sinzinger<br />
Producer AT Vincent Lucassen<br />
Production France F AGAT FILMS ET CIE<br />
Producer F Marie Balducchi<br />
Production Management<br />
Production Office Albania AL ART FILM<br />
Line Producer AT Vincent Lucassen<br />
Production Executive AL Dritan Huqi<br />
Co-Production Coordinator DE Oliver Röpke<br />
Production Assistant DE Andreas Dießner<br />
Production Accountant AL Mariela Zajmi<br />
Script<br />
Script Writer AL Artan Minarolli<br />
Script Consultant I Salvatore Lista<br />
Script Consultant DE Franz Rodenkirchen<br />
Script Consultant UK Clare Downs<br />
Casting<br />
Casting AL Anxhela Cikopano<br />
Casting AL Anola Decka<br />
Direction<br />
Director AL Artan Minarolli<br />
1st Assistant Director AT Sabine Panossian<br />
2nd Assistant Director AL Kelmend Karuni<br />
Script / Continuity AL Anxhela Cikopano<br />
Camera Department<br />
Director of Photography F Jacques Bouquin<br />
Focus Puller F Frederic Beaugendre<br />
2nd Assistant Camera KO Isak Duraku
Press Kit Alive! 10<br />
Underwater Shoot<br />
DoP AT Jerzy Palacz<br />
DoP Assistant AT Alexander Bilic<br />
Art Department AT Maria Gruber<br />
Sound Department<br />
Sound Recordist AT Hjalti Bager-Jonathansson<br />
Boomer AT Atanas Tcholakov<br />
Production Design<br />
Production Designer AL Mihal Rama<br />
Art Director AL Ylli Bepiri<br />
Set Decorator AL Anola Decka<br />
Costume Design, Make-Up/Hair<br />
Costume Designer AL Emira Turkeshi<br />
Make-Up/Hair Stylist RO Mariana Andreescu<br />
Postproduction Management<br />
Post Production Supervisor F Mélanie Zaffran<br />
Editing<br />
Editor AT Oliver Neumann<br />
Sound-Postproduction<br />
Sound Editor AT Daniel Fritz<br />
Peter Roesner<br />
Music<br />
Composer F Baptiste Bouquin
Press Kit Alive! 11<br />
THE PRODUCERS<br />
Albania<br />
ART FILM Artan Minarolli<br />
Contact<br />
Artan Minarolli Phone: + 355 4 233 558<br />
ART FILM Mobile: + 355 69 40 62 995<br />
Rr. Durresit artanminarolli@yahoo.com<br />
Pa. 11, sh. 4, ap 31 www.alive-thefilm.com<br />
Tirana, Albania<br />
ART FILM, a production-distribution company, was founded in 1997 in Tirana, Albania. During the 12<br />
years of its existence ART FILM has produced some shorts and documentaries, also has organized<br />
Euro Film Festival in Tirana. The most important work is the producing of the long feature “The moonless<br />
night” which participated at 25 film festivals and won awards “The best film” in Roma, Italy and<br />
New Jersey, USA and in Naples “The Best music”.<br />
Austria<br />
WILDart FILM Ebba Sinzinger, Vincent Lucassen<br />
Contact<br />
WILDart FILM Tel: +43 (0) 1 595 2991<br />
Pfeilgasse 32/1 Fax: +43 (0) 1 595 2991 21<br />
A-1080 Vienna Mobile : +43 (0) 664 39 664 55<br />
Austria office@wildartfilm.com<br />
www.wildartfilm.com<br />
WILDart FILM concentrates on the development and production of art-house fiction and high quality<br />
creative documentaries for cinema & television that appeal to an international audience. Most of our<br />
films are realized as coproductions. We are interested in crossovers of film cultures and formats and<br />
offer space for young talent.<br />
Recent Films:<br />
DOMAINE, fiction, 2009. starring : Béatrice Dalle. D: Patric Chiha, CoP: Aurora Films, F<br />
International premiere: Venice Film Festival 2009, Critic´s Week<br />
PIANOMANIA, feature docu, 2009. D: Robert Cibis & Lillian Frank. CoP: OVAL Filmemacher<br />
Rating in Germany: highly recommended. International premiere: Locarno Film Festival 2009, Critic’s<br />
Week Award. Other festivals and awards: Saarbrücken, Diagonale, Austrian Award: Best Editing/Documentary,<br />
Nominated for the European Film Academy Award – Documentary 2009 – Prix Arte, Sheffield,<br />
Leipzig, IDFA, LÜDIA audience award, Filmfestival Lünen, German Film Rating: Highly Recommended
Press Kit Alive! 12<br />
ALIVE!, fiction, 2009. D: Artan Minarolli. CoP: ART Film, ALB; AGAT Films, F<br />
International Premiere: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2009, East of the West. Other festivals<br />
and awards: Durres Filmfestival 2009, Special Jury Award, Pusan, Antalya, Bergen, Nominated by<br />
Albania for Foreign Language Oscar, Prix du soutien technique GTC, Montpellier, Don Quichotte Award<br />
– Federation Internationale des Ciné-Clubs FICC, Cottbus FF<br />
A JOURNEY WITH PETER SELLARS, feature docu 2007. D: Mark Kidel, CoP: Agat Films, F; Calliope<br />
Media, GB. Festival: Telluride.<br />
HOME, fiction, 2006. D: Patric Chiha, CoP: Aurora Films, F. Festivals: Viennale 06, Diagonale 07,<br />
Indielisboa/Lissabon, Belfort, Pantin (Prix de la Presse, Prix Emergence)<br />
In production:<br />
FORGOTTEN SPACE, cinema docu. D: Noel Burch & Allan Sekula. CoP: DocEye, NL<br />
In postproduction:<br />
BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE HARE, feature docu, 2009. D: Ebba Sinzinger<br />
In development:<br />
INVASION, fiction, D: Dito Tsintsadze, CoP: Pallas Film<br />
THE VIRTUAL ORCHESTRA, docu. D: Werner Boote<br />
STALIN ON MY MIND, docu<br />
France<br />
AGAT FILMS & CIE Marie Balducchi<br />
Contact<br />
Agat Films & Cie / Ex Nihilo Telephone.: 01 53 36 32 32<br />
52, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud Fax: 01 43 57 00 22<br />
75011 PARIS E-Mail: marie@agatfilms.com<br />
FRANCE www.agatfilms.com<br />
AGAT FILMS & Cie / EX NIHILO was created more than 15 years ago. It is a unique and original<br />
structure, run by a collective of eight associate producers. It leads a politically committed and diversified<br />
production policy, tackling the most varied genres in audiovisual (fiction, documentary, magazine<br />
program, television and cinema), in a spirit of independence and creation, and opposed to any formatting<br />
or standardization of the works.<br />
Amongst the films that mark the artistic identity of the company, there are Robert Guédiguian’s movies<br />
(Marius & Jeannette).<br />
AGAT FILMS & Cie has also been working on a regular basis with several film-makers such as Lucas<br />
Belvaux (La raison du plus faible, Official Selection at Cannes Festival 2006), or Pierre Trividic and<br />
Patrick-Mario Bernard (L’Autre, Volpi cup for Best Actress at the Venice Mostra 2008). The last film by<br />
Marina de Van, Don’t look back, starring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci was recently released.<br />
For several years, AGAT FILMS & Cie has been producing around four feature films a year. It is through<br />
this policy of diversified production that AGAT FILMS & Cie strives to participate in the good shape of<br />
the ambitious French cinema. Our catalogue now shows 80 fictions and more than 200 documentaries.
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