DIVORCE ALBANIAN STYLE
European Film Academy Award Nominee – 2007

This is a story about love and separation, about families forcibly separated by the totalitarian regime of Enver Hodja – the longest-serving European dictator of the 20th century. Only because their wives were foreigners …

A new film by Adela Peeva

Documentary feature, 59/66 min - Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Finland - 2007
Format: Digital Betacam
Filmed: in Albania, Russia and Poland.
Languages: Albanian, Russian, Polish / English subtitles and voice over

© 2007 Adela Media Film & TV Production

THE STORY

This story of love and separation takes place in the surreal world of 1960s communist Albania. As told by survivors of this extraordinary period, Divorce Albanian Style reveals the experience of the many thousands of families that were forcibly separated by the totalitarian regime of Enver Hodja, the longest-serving European dictator of the 20th century.

Near the height of his mania, in 1961 Enver Hodja broke off Albania’s relations with the Soviet Union. Albanian men married to foreign women were forced by the state to split from their wives – women from all over Eastern Europe - who were subsequently expelled. The official reason was alleged espionage. Hojda quickly created a mechanism to deal with those who refused to leave. KGB-trained secret police collected “evidence”, minor clerks became “investigators”, carpenters were made into prosecutors and labor camps expanded.

The women who stayed – and their husbands - spent years in prisons, the last released in 1987. Divorce Albanian Style tells the stories of three of these couples, and of the apparatchiks and officers of the secret police who changed their lives forever.

FILMMAKER’S CV

Adela Peeva holds a degree from the Academy for Film, Theatre and TV in Belgrade. From 1973 till 1990 she worked at the Documentary Film Studio in Sofia. The films of Adela Peeva are always dealing with controversial subjects. Some of her films (“In the name of sport“, “Mothers”) were prohibited by the communist regime. Later on, after the democratic changes the films were screened both in Bulgaria and abroad and awarded.

In 1991 she established her own production company „ADELA MEDIA”.

From that time dated also her interest about the Balkans. She made the following award wining films on Balkan subjects “Born from the Ashes”, “Right to chose“ “The Unwanted”, “Whose is this Song?” - Nominated for European Film Academy “Best Documentary - Prix ARTE” 2003 award, participated at over 50 International film festivals all over the World and was awarded 16 prizes, ”Divorce Albanian style” - Nominated for European Film Academy “Best Documentary - Prix ARTE” 2007

Other activities:

- Member of the European Film Academy,
- Member of the Board of European Documentary Network (till the end of 2004),
- Member of the Unions of the Bulgarian film makers and Bulgarian Producers
- National Coordinator of INPUT for Bulgaria
- Expert at the EAVE Workshops in Oulu, Finland -2004
- Expert at the EAVE forum "West meets East" in Utrecht, The Netherlands - 2004
- Guest-panelist at the World Congress of History Producers, Toronto - 2004
- Guest-panelist at the INPUT 2005 Conference, San Francisco -2005
- Member of the Jury of the European Film Academy for best documentary 2006
- Tutor at the “Training course for filmmakers“ Dublin, Ireland - 2007
- President of the Jury for documentary films and EDN Talent Award at SIFF - Sarajevo International Film Festival - 2007

FILM CREDITS

Director/ Script: Adela Peeva

Narrator: Ben Cross

Editing Jelio Jelev, Diana Zaharieva

Sound Ivaylo Yanev, Michal Pruski,
Cvetelina Cvetkova

Produced by: Adela Peeva
Slobodan Milovanovic

For ADELA MEDIA
Film & TV Production

In a co-production with: Westdeutcher Rundfunk
Bulgarian National Television
Film Studio “Kalejdoskop”

In association with: YLE FST

With the support of the: Bulgarian National Film Center
Jan Vrijman Fund

In collaboration with: Albanian National Film Center

Prize of the Swiss Broadcast Corporation
Basel - Karlsruhe Forum 2008

Jury Motivation

„Divorce Albanian Style” reveals an extraordinary insight of 1960s Communist Albania. The audience embarks on the journey of three couples who have struggled and still pay the cruel cost for the painful decade of the Totalitarian regime of Enver Hodja.

We follow the story lines of Albanian men married to foreign women – this being the only reason for accusing them to be the spies, betrayers and “enemies of the Nation.”

The film is accompanied by a careful historical back up and research. The audience is pleased to enjoy 66 minutes of highly professional documentary filmmaking taking a concise, thought-through and analytical path, which sets up a deeply emotional environment, yet never sentimental for even a second.

The main characters and their lives are presented with respect and understanding. More over, even protagonists of the totalitarian system are introduced in the most natural and transparent way – making the audience reflect about the set up and think of bridges between the past, present and future.

The cruel history of the period is shown without any judgement by the director, which the adds up value to her professional approach. The only judgment of the film is highest esteem for the victims of a totalitarian system. The biggest achievement of the director is the combination of cruel historical reality and the outstanding theme of love. The last uniting people irrespective of country borders, and demanding sensibility and understanding.

“Divorce Albanian Style”
Festival Participations and Awards (as at 1st of September 2008)

- Nomination of the European Film Academy
for “The Best Documentary 2007 - Prix Arte”

- Special award of the Jury
National Non - Fiction Film Festival "Golden Rython" 2007

- Grand Prix “Golden Chest” for the Best Documentary
International TV Festival "Golden Chest" 2007

- “Best Bulgarian Documentary 2007” Award
of the Bulgarian National Film Centre

- “Best Documentary 2006 - 2007” Award
of the Union of Bulgarian Film makers

- SRG SSR Idée Suisse 2008
Prize of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation

- Human Rights Award
XIV Sarajevo International Film festival 2008

1. Apolonia Art Fest, Bulgaria - 2007
2. International Film Festival “Astra”, Rumania - 2007
3. International Film Festival “Kinomania”, Bulgaria - 2007
4. “Golden Rithon” National Non-feature Film Festival, Bulgaria - 2007
5. “Golden Chest” International TV Festival, Bulgaria - 2007
6. IDFA Film Festival, The Netherlands - 2007
7. 21st FIPA Film Festival - Biarritz, France - 2008
8. Miami International Film Festival, USA - 2008
9. Mumbai International Film Festival, India - 2008
10. ONE WORLD International Human Rights Film Festival, Prague - 2008
11. Thessaloniki International Film Festival TIDF ’08, Greece - 2008
12. “Sofia Film Fest” International Film Festival, Bulgaria - 2008
13. Bucharest Film Festival, Romania - 2008
14. EURORAMA International Film Festival Trento, Italy - 2008
15. Huesca International Film Festival, Spain - 2008
16. Yerevan International Film Festival GOLDEN APRICOT - 2008
17. International Film Festival of European co-production, Sofia - 2008
18. Sarajevo International Film Festival - 2008
19. Sardinia Ethnographic International Film Festival, Italy - 2008
20. PRIX EUROPE 2008, Berlin, Germany - 2008
21. Cinéma méditerranéen Montpellier, France - 2008
22. DOCLISBOA International Film Festival - 2008
23. 1001 Documentary Film Festival, Istanbul, Turkey - 2008
24. International Ethnographic Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 2008
25. Eastern Neighbours Film Festival, Utrecht, The Netherlands - 2008
26. Festival of Cinema and Television MEMORIMAGE,Barcelona, Spain - 2008

Prize of the Swiss Broadcast Corporation
Basel -Karlsruhe Forum 2008

Jury Motivation

„Divorce Albanian Style” reveals an extraordinary insight of 1960s Communist Albania. The audience embarks on the journey of three couples who have struggled and still pay the cruel cost for the painful decade of the Totalitarian regime of Enver Hodja.

We follow the story lines of Albanian men married to foreign women – this being the only reason for accusing them to be the spies, betrayers and “enemies of the Nation.”

The film is accompanied by a careful historical back up and research. The audience is pleased to enjoy 66 minutes of highly professional documentary filmmaking taking a concise, thought-through and analytical path, which sets up a deeply emotional environment, yet never sentimental for even a second.

The main characters and their lives are presented with respect and understanding. More over, even protagonists of the totalitarian system are introduced in the most natural and transparent way – making the audience reflect about the set up and think of bridges between the past, present and future.

The cruel history of the period is shown without any judgement by the director, which the adds up value to her professional approach. The only judgment of the film is highest esteem for the victims of a totalitarian system. The biggest achievement of the director is the combination of cruel historical reality and the outstanding theme of love. The last uniting people irrespective of country borders, and demanding sensibility and understanding.

CONTACT

ADELA MEDIA
Film &TV Production

Adela Peeva
Slobodan Milovanovic

1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
3, Babuna planina str.

Tel.: + 359 2 862 65 72
Fax: + 359 2 962 47 89
e-mail: adelamedia@adelamedia.net