11/08/2023

On the war front, the line between life and death is thinner than a hair. During the war, no more frightening question was asked more often than: 'Is he alive?' The answer could give life as well as take it. An answer where there was no golden meaning, to have hope. The answer had to be clear, so it wasn't that simple...

The story about Krusha e Madhe brought together the two directors Blerina Këllezi and Gazmend Bajri. Their dedication to creating a chilling and very emotional documentary about the deeds of the Serbs in Krusha e Madhe was revealed at Kino Lumi. 
Those who survived the Krusha e Madhe massacre were returning 24 years later. Their memory was too fresh, their scars were there, never to go away. The memories of those who are no more, do not go away, they become even more powerful with the years. 

One of the characters told how her few-month-old son wandered around the rifle of a Serbian criminal for two hours. Others told how they saw their loved ones being tortured and killed. No words can show the pain that they expressed every time they uttered the sentences. All their experiences had endless suffering.

A pain-filled melody played in the background during the one-hour film. The post-war period was also difficult for women because they were faced with prejudices such as 'You are going to the city without a man, aren't you?', 'Why are you taking your daughters to school?' 
The film was over, but all these stories are waiting for answers.

The director Blerina Këllezi announced how the speakers were selected in the documentary. 
"Finding the people in the film was a matter of chance, it was about who was willing to talk because it's hard to hear their stories let alone tell them, it's hard to talk about these experiences". 


“Women of Liberty”, a living document

Next, the film "Women of Liberty" was screened, dedicated to women steadfast in their goals. These women were leading the demonstrations during the end of the 90s in Kosovo. Melihate Tërmkolli, Edita Tahiri, and Edi Shukri were just some of those who proved what happened during those years. Banners with inscriptions such as: "We are not mothers of murderers", "Drenica, we are coming for you", and "We want peaceful separation" were held in their hands during the protests.

The narratives, images, and documentation of this film separate pieces of reality from a difficult period in our country. Impassable fortifications were created in the area of Drenica (in Skenderaj), sympathizing with the mothers and children of this area, many women, hundreds of them, set out together for a common goal. Everything that happened in that period in our country had its genesis, the ideal. Although desperate for justice that would never arrive, the women of Kosovo were convinced that their march would get the message across. So it happened, even though the mass demonstration was interrupted and they were forced to turn back. However, these women managed to tell the world about the injustices that were being done to Kosovo. 

"Women of Liberty" is a living document, important and meaningful for the history of our country.

By: Valona Hasani

Photo: Elmedina Arapi