09 August, 2021
10 AUGUST
TIME 19:30
VENUE: SHANI EFENDI
A photo exhibition of never-before-seen black and white images of the acclaimed Kosovar actor Bekim Fehmiu, taken during his 1972 visit to Albania and only recently discovered at the Albanian National Film Archive in Tirana. Many of these pictures were taken by the prolific cinematographer Bardhyl Martiniani who followed Bekim throughout Albania.
Fehmiu’s return to Albania came at a pivotal time in the communist regime. It’s not clear why but repressive Albania was undergoing a period of liberalization in the arts. Changes were noticeable in cinema, literature, painting, and sculpture.
However, it was in Prizren that the young, handsome Fehmiu first joined his high school acting club, beginning a path that ultimately lead to international acclaim in Belgrade, Rome and Hollywood where he was dubbed the first ‘Cold War superstar’.
Therefore, DokuFest and the Albanian National Film Archive are honored to pay tribute to Bekim Fehmiu, one of our most beloved and memorable screen icons.