Within the framework of celebrations of Albania΄s National Holiday (November 27), two newly restored and very beloved Albanian films from the communist era are being screened in Paris this week.

The series events consist of a discussion around the restored film The Second November by Viktor Gjika (Albania, 1982) which is taking place today, November 24, at the Albanian Association in Paris, followed by the Albanian Cinema Round Table “New perspectives on old films: Albanian cinema during the Kinostudio era 1954 – 1992” on Friday 27 November, at EHESS, where an analyse on the photography, documentary and mainstream cinema produced and enjoyed during the communist period in Albania will take place.

The discussion will be led by a group of international scholars and researchers: Nathalie Clayer (EHESS/France), Bruce Williams (William Patterson University/USA), Artan Puto (University of Tirana/Albania), Gilles De Rapper (CNRS/France), Konstanty Kuzma (EEFB/France), Ana Grgic (University of St Andrews/Scotland), and Clarence Tsui (Chinese University of Hong Kong). The roundtable/workshop aims to go beyond binary dichotomies of Cold War order, in an attempt to look beyond the apparent and offer varying shades of grey interpretations and widen and deepen academic research on the Albanian cinema and its place in Albanian society. 

The discussion wil be followed by the French film restoration premiere of Tomka and His Friends by Xhanfise Keko (Albania, 1977), along with a Q&A in presence of special guest and Professor of Modern Albanian History, Artan Puto (who plays Çelo in the film) and film scholar Professor Bruce Williams.

Ana Grgic, from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and organiser of the events shared an interesting detail with us: “In 1975, a research group of French scholars (University of Vincennes) travelled to Albania and visited the Kinostudio (the Albanian state film studio), and published the first book on Albanian cinema outside Albania. I organised these events in tribute to this "geste" and to re-establish the historical French-Albanian cinematographic ties”.

The restoration of some of the most renowned Albanian films is an initiative of the Albanian Cinema Project (ACP), with the support of Albanian Ministry of Culture, the US Embassy in Tirana, the Albanian National Centre of Cinematography, the Albanian Film Commission, the Association of Moving Image Archivists and concerned members of the international film and film archives community. ACP is dedicated to preserving, restoring and promoting Albanian film heritage.