As a tragicomic social commentary dealing with the traumatic collective memory of Albanians under the totalitarian rule of a communist leader Enver Hoxha the film "Why exactly" by a young Montenegrin multimedia artist is described Una Jovovic, which was shown on Sunday evening at the 13th edition of the Montenegrin human rights film festival Ubrzaj.
The film is one of the results of the "Rekon" project, an Interreg - IPA CBC project in which the Montenegrin Cinematheque is a partner, as part of which Jovović resided in Albania and realized her work in cooperation with the Albanian Central State Film Archive.
In the film "Why Just So" Jovović shows segments from old and archived video material, which examines the period of government, society and the position of artists during the reign of Enver Hoxha. The specificity of this film is that, although it is clear, a specific protagonist or antagonist is not shown. With a fantastic montage, which he signs Ergi Shkelzeni, the frames used in television shows of various formats, from informative to entertainment programs, but also those frames known as covers, which show people in the audience of some events, most often congresses and conferences, party gatherings, and even the audience visiting the studio, are constantly appearing. during some shows, the audience from concerts, holiday events or shows and all of them are continuously clapping, applauding, smiling, nodding affirmatively.
"The faces I portrayed in this film were originally used for different purposes. Their purpose in television shows was to be fleeting and to represent so-called covers that would benefit some other story at the time. I, on the other hand, aimed to give them a different context and put them in the foreground, to discover some seemingly imperceptible things... I found the part with informative news particularly interesting, because somehow that kind of material is not always meant to be beautiful and attractive, but even in such material there are very interesting shots", explains Jovović for "Vijesti".
A particularly ironic and sarcastic tone, a humorous comment on the political, as well as social and artistic reality of the time, is provided by the constant applause that accompanies the film during its 35-minute duration, and all of this reveals the engaged and activist approach of the young artist.
"The applause is actually an ironic comment on the complete story that is revealed in interviews with interlocutors who remember that period. I wanted to cover the interview part with the faces of that era, namely people who were in the audience during some entertainment program or congresses, conferences and the like. These are the faces that from 1949 to '80. and some years there were those faces in television and news and newspaper materials that were used only to cover some topics, and it was interesting for me to give them the role of the protagonist so that they are the main ones in this story... When you look at the whole that archive material, that I had the opportunity, what appeared the most was precisely the audience and the audience's applause because, of course, every action of the party had to be accompanied by applause as a kind of reward. That's why he appears at the beginning, and political leaders, first of all Enver Hodža, are shown as someone who applauds after the interview that was recorded, so the film is connected to him", says Jovović.
Selected frames that alternate dynamically and which, in addition to the tragicomic commentary they fit into, actually show reality, are accompanied by a tone, that is, a monologue by one artist after another, evoking the period of time the film is about.
"First of all, it was interesting for me to enter the process of getting to know their culture through the film archive, because it is a real treasure preserved on film tapes, a testimony of time, but also an interesting process that provides a unique way of observing reality. The desire to deal with it came perhaps from some of my personal interest in that period in Albania, because we are familiar with some of the events in Albania at that time, but rather superficially. We know that it was difficult for them, that it was not easy, but it was interesting for me to hear it all firsthand, mostly from people who lived in that time and created in that time, and I wanted to give it all a dose of humor. They liked the fact that I wanted to present all of this through a humorous approach, despite the fact that for them it is a traumatic experience that they still view in that way. However, humor represents a way to survive traumatic reality, to survive and accept reality, without censoring ourselves, which was one of the options for them," says Jovović.
When asked if she came to certain conclusions during the research, archeology and architecture of the materials she dealt with and how the people she talked to and worked on this topic see that period, Jovović answers:
"The fact that that kind of image (smiling people applauding) must have left a mark on some people to observe that period through some nostalgic glasses, which is terribly interesting. Nevertheless, it was precisely through conversations and stories with people who created, and I mostly concentrated on conversations with artists and creation at that time, that I got a broader picture and an overview of that period, but also of what propaganda actually is and what propaganda is was with them", she says and notes that the situation is still similar...
"For example, we lived silently in this kind of propaganda, but some scenes from the movies are so striking that it doesn't matter whether it is about Montenegro or Albania, especially when it comes to shots showing workers' actions, collective work, depictions of of life... The only thing is that we had more freedom here".
Jovović goes on to talk about how Enver Hoxha and the period of his rule in Albania are perceived today among those she met during her one and a half month stay in Albania.
"Generally, what is the collective opinion is that there is great fear and hatred towards that period, but also a great revulsion towards everything that happened... At least that's how it is with most of those I met. Certainly, there are those who show nostalgia for that period, for the order that existed then and for everything that makes them perceive that period as easier and better compared to today," says Jovović.
She points out that the whole idea was interesting to her colleagues in Albania, additionally because as someone from the outside she deals with things and a period to which everyone attaches certain attitudes and emotions, and she enters it with different eyes and feelings, without any memory or personal touch with that...
"Thus, everything gets a totally different image. It was interesting for me to relate it to our climate. We have nostalgia for Yugoslavia and Tito rule is much more pronounced today, I assume because that system was very different, whatever roots it had. I would like to point out that I found the materials from the fifties and sixties very interesting, when Tito was seen as a great enemy in Albania. In that sense, it is definitely not possible to compare our and their feelings towards that time. And when it comes to today's context, censorship was definitely more direct and clear back then. But I'm not sure that it still doesn't exist today, no matter how much we say that we are open and free," says Jovović.
The film is a co-production of Italy, Albania and Montenegro (Montenegro Cinematheque and Albanian State Film Archive), which are participants in the Rekon project. She is a project manager Milena Charan, coordinator Nemanja Bečanović i Erion Vyshka, he signs the music Klaydi Guza, and editing by Ergi Škelzeni, whose presence and participation in the process of material research meant a lot to Uni Jovović.
"Because it is important to have that unintimidated view of someone who does not directly belong to the area and history, but also an observer who is from that area, close in mentality and thinking. I think the biggest reward for me was some discovery of current people who create in that area, not only for this project, but also, I hope, for future collaborations. Once again, the importance of such projects is confirmed, because they last even independently of the works that are created jointly", Jovović believes.
The film was previously shown in a gallery in Termoli, Italy, and after the premiere in Montenegro, the dates for the screening in Albania are also expected. The audience in Montenegro, adds Jovović, saw many similar things and the comments were mainly related to that, to the similarities and differences that are visible between the people of Montenegro and Albania. In this context, Jovović says that it is best to cooperate with people who are close to us, primarily from the region, because the case is usually such that one tends to Europe and getting to know the culture there before the one that is closer to us.
Accompanied by electronic music
The synopsis adds that the film juxtaposes political fantasy and real-life stories by interpolating electronic dance music with applause after political speeches.
The last segment of the film is permeated with electronic music, which is used as a soundtrack for shots of gatherings and mass gatherings, but also folk dances, dances, and even protests, shots from laboratories, sports competitions, those shots that are covers for shows about tourism or industry. Electronic sound also accompanies politicians' meetings, celebrations, performances, reforestation actions, and macaque shots, whether it's general or big, at no point would it be said that the music is not adequate and superbly adapted.
"Electronic music gives the film today's context, and here I would like to emphasize the collaboration with Klejdi Guza, whose artistic name is Nena Parti. It is the mother of the party, and he dedicated a lot of his work to that ironic view and humorous approach of commenting on that period through music," says Jovović and points out that the audience at the screening of the Ubrzaj festival was visibly attracted to the music, "even those who are not would expect”.
Bonus video:
