THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD

Albania, 2011, 109 minutes, Colour.
Tristan Halilaj, Sindi Lacej.
Directed by Joshua Marston.

It is not often that we see an Albanian film. It is not often that we see films about Albania. It was one of the most cut off countries of Communist Eastern Europe, so it is intriguing to wonder how Albania has adapted to the fall of Communism and the changes of the 21st century. This film gives quite an effective opportunity to experience something of life in that country.

What makes it more interesting is that it is the work of an outsider. Writer director, Joshua Marston, is an American. While he has directed quite a number of episodes for television, he has not made many feature films. His claim to fame is Maria, Full of Grace, the 2002 Oscar nominee, about a young girl recruited as a drug mule from Colombia to the US. Marston has an eye for unusual stories outside America. He visited Albania a number of times once he had read articles about the continuation of blood feuds into the present. He enlisted the help of Andamion Murataj, an Albanian American, to travel through the country, translate and, finally, to collaborate on the screenplay (which is in the Albanian language).

We are introduced to a family which ekes out a living by farming and for selling milk and other goods around the village. There have been disputes about the ownership of the land where the family works. What develops is a violent fight and death for which the father is blamed and, according to tradition, becomes the target of a feud along with his family. The father goes into exile, coming back home infrequently in the dead of night. The mother manages with the smaller children, but the son who is in his final year in high school (a 21st century feel about the school with the students, their attitudes, clothes, mobile phones, flirtations), is confined to home. So is his little brother – the teacher comes from the school for some home education.

The feud traditions come from oral lore from the later Middle Ages and are interpreted with some forcefulness (with some professional brokers in the town making money out of the situations). The teenage son wants to break out and wants mediation. Eventually, he is given leave to come out but the ‘offended’ family resents this and so he offers to sacrifice himself for the family and go into exile. This contrasts with his younger teenage sister who has to carry on the sales in the village and comes into her own with responsibilities, even to the selling of their horse.

With persuasive local actors, Marston has created an interesting story with strong character interactions and a critique of what is a cruel tradition, the blood feud.

1. Audience familiarity with Albania? Its history, the communist period, the changes in the 21st century? The old and the new?

2. The title, the reference to blood feuds? The Kunan tradition, oral, interpreted since the 16th century? The role of mediators, their strengths, their weaknesses, exploitative? The possibilities for the resolution of the feuds? Issues of pride, ego, revenge, women, land?

3. The consequences of the feuds, for the exile of the men, for the boys to be confined at home, hiding, experiencing life as a prison?

4. The director and his research, talking to Albanians, listening to their stories, the interviews, developing the screenplay, his Albanian associate and input?

5. The locations in northern Albania, the village, the mountains, the visit to the sea? Homes, poverty, shops and markets, schools?

6. The 21st century and youth, the difference in generations? Nik, his mobile phone, wanting to have the money to set up an internet café? Computer games? Television? School and the behaviour of the teenagers at school? The cameras from Canada, taking videos, video communication?

7. The introduction, the dray and the horse, removing the stones from the path, trespassing on the land? The ownership of the land, the old days and the family, the new owners, disputes? In the bars, the men talking, drinking, arguing, rivalry?

8. The violent assault, the stabbing, Mark holding the man down? Charges of murder? Blood feuds and vengeance? The family of the murdered man, the strong stance of the grandfather, the other men in the family, vindictive?

9. Mark and his family, their life, selling bread, selling cigarettes? The mother and her work in the household? The children? Ordinary? The consequences of the feud?

10. Mark hiding, his visits during the night, Nik and his being confined to the house, feeling imprisoned, trying to see alternate ways of solving the feud? The visit of the mediator? The besa, an allowance to go out of the house? Nik and the family offended? His going to the grandfather, his offer of his life to solve the feud? Their admiration for his courage, exiling him?

11. Nik’s story, his age, liking school, his gymnasium and building it during his imprisonment, building the bell bars with his brother? Muscles and sport? His girlfriend? His friend from school, the video of the girl, his friend bringing it? Later meeting her? At home, the effect of the confinement, with the other children? His going out, the fire and the disaster for the family? His not visiting his father in prison? His father slapping him? His wanting mediation, his decision to offer himself? Where would he go to?

12. Rudina, at school, having to work in her father’s job, the dray and the horse, selling the bread, discussions with the clients, the cigarettes, going to the market, the fire? Her decision to sell the horse, bargaining and skill?

13. The small children, the effect of being at home, the boy hiding himself, the teacher coming to the house? The effect on the two younger children of being allowed out to school?

14. The mother, managing the house, staying at home?

15. The feuds – and the possibility for change in contemporary Albanian society? The contribution of this film, because so few films from Albania, its Berlin award?