Short Film Forum

DISCOBOX

Director: Romina Ruda
Producer: Blerina Hankollari
Country: Albania
Genre: Fiction
Estimated runtime: 20'
Total estimated budget: 40,000 Euros
Looking for: Funding.

Synopsis:
Discobox is a raw coming-of-age drama set over the course of a single, chaotic night in the heart of post-communist Tirana. In the shadows of Albania’s turbulent transition to capitalism, three friends, Ana, Kristi, and Astriti, enter the neon-lit underground club Discobox, seeking escape, connection, and perhaps some kind of truth.
Ana and Kristi are in a seemingly stable monogamous relationship, but beneath the surface, secrets simmer. Kristi struggles with his bisexuality, suppressing desires he doesn’t yet fully understand or accept. Astriti, openly gay and emotionally guarded, harbors a silent, painful love for Kristi, an affection he masks through biting humor and reckless abandon.
As the night unfolds through music, drugs, and fleeting moments of intimacy, long-suppressed tensions erupt. What begins as a typical night out gradually unravels into a crucible of identity, loyalty, and betrayal. Each character is forced to confront the weight of their family histories, their inherited traumas, and the dissonance between who they are and who they’re expected to be.
Set against the backdrop of a generation caught between the decaying ideals of communism and the seductive chaos of Western individualism, Discobox is a cinematic portrait of urban Albanian youth navigating the liminal space between freedom and disillusionment. At its core, the film explores queerness, self-denial, generational trauma, and the fragile intensity of youth: all magnified under the strobe lights of a city still finding its soul.

Director's short bio:
Romina Ruda is a film director and writer, and producer whose work delves into themes of identity, generational trauma, and the search for belonging. Her storytelling is driven by raw, intimate portrayals of youth and marginalized voices, often set against the vibrant yet fractured backdrop of contemporary Albania. With a focus on immersive realism and emotionally charged narratives, Romina’s films explore the spaces where personal and societal boundaries blur.
She had a BA in Filmmaking at the University of Arts of Tirana, and a MA in Filmmaking at the London Film Academy, UK. She is part of the Berlinale Talents Alumni network.

Producer's short bio:
Blerina Hankollari studied European Philosophy and has been part of the film industry since 2012. She served as a creative consultant on Gentian Koçi's documentary Not a Carwash, which premiered at Hot Docs, and produced Koçi's first and second feature films, Daybreak (2017) and A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On (2022), which were successful at festivals and selected as Albania's official entry to the Academy Awards in 2018 and 2023, respectively. Blerina is currently producing Koçi's third feature film, Cold Sun, and developing Eneos Çarka's second feature-length documentary.