“The Red Border: A Stranger Among Ourselves” – The documentary that opened the seventh edition of the 'Republika' Festival in Pristina

For the past three days, Kino Armata in Pristina has been the epicenter of art and culture, welcoming the seventh edition of the International Festival “Republika”. This edition opened with the premiere of the documentary “The Red Border: A Stranger Among Ourselves”, a production supported by the British Council, Kujto.al and Social Creativity.

The documentary brings a forbidden narrative about the communist era and focuses on the figure of the classic Albanian writer, Anton Pashku. With a deep and reflective approach, this film deals with the stories of authors who faced censorship and the challenges of the time, shedding light on the forced cultural and ideological divisions between the Albanians of Kosovo and Albania during the communist regime.

Telegrafi was present at Kino Armata to closely follow this premiere and conducted an exclusive interview with the festival director, Vlora Ademi. She shared details about the importance of this documentary and the program of the "Republika" Festival.

"The seventh edition of the 'Republika' International Festival is starting and the festival opens tonight with the documentary 'Red Border: Alienation from Oneself', a collaboration with the Kujto.al Foundation and the Social Creativity organization. The documentary brings the figure of Anton Pashku to the center and illuminates a difficult period for Albanian literature," said Ademi.

In addition to the documentary premiere, the festival's opening night also included musical performances by soloist Ardiana Bytyqi and instrumentalists Maliq Uruqi and Genta Hajrizi. A poetry evening was also held, featuring poets from various countries, such as Primo Sllaku from Albania, Kristos Gaza from Greece, Rafa Njuman from Switzerland, and Dalila Hjaju from Morocco.

Ademi emphasized that this edition of "Republika" is supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Pristina, enabling the realization of a rich cultural program.

The “Republika” Festival continued with other activities during its three days, bringing a combination of visual art, poetry, and music, transforming Pristina into an important center of cultural and artistic debate.

The premiere of “The Red Border: A Stranger Among Ourselves” marked a highlight of this festival, bringing a deep reflection on the past and sparking debate on the cultural and political borders that have influenced Albanian identity. /Telegraph/