Hometown: Prishtina, Kosova
Education: Theatre and Film Directing
Favorite Credits: Doruntine, Three Fat Germans, Invisible walls
Why theater?: Challenge with facing live audiences, inspired by the strength of shared moments and emotions collectively, challenging my internal thoughts, opinions and emotions with the wider public.
Tell us about Doruntine: Doruntine is an epic mythical tale in Albanian mythology, based on that we created the bilingual inspirational theatre that is very strong for me, resonating human kind values and beliefs that we all share. It is a unique theatre experience of an hour and twenty minutes that is worth experience each and every minute of it.
What inspired you to direct Doruntine?: The strength of the tale, its values and the unique cultural element such as Besa that is specific and unique in Albanian culture and has followed me throughout my life. In addition to that, the biggest inspiration comes from our common work with Blessed Unrest and the artistic visions we share inspire me very strongly to engage and bring Doruntine’s mythical story into life.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I like to deal with new writing, theatre that speaks with bodies, that produces collective experiences and that has beautiful poetry, not just in words.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I am sure there is a long list of people that I should work in the future, I just wish I have the luck to meet and work with these people that share with me persistence, belief and an open heart.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: Recently I am recommending Doruntine to all my friends and my new friends in New York City.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Ben Affleck in a movie called "An impossible journey".
If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: "Erveheja" by Muharrem Qena, well known artist in Kosova from the last century, a play that was staged when I was very little kid and that a lot of artists in Kosova keep talking about, made me curious and wish I could've seen it.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: When I gave up my well paid work at the International Committee of Red Cross immediately after the war in Kosova to join the team of Hamlet that was staged in 1999 in National Theatre of Kosova that didn't restored yet broken windows from the blasts of the war at the time. This play was a resurrection of the cultural life of post war Kosova.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____: Businessman in Pharmacy or IT Industry?:
What’s up next?: We are making plans with Blessed Unrest for out next collaboration, while when I go back home I will be producing a Festival for Art in Public Space in September in Prishtina, Kosova called "HAPU" meaning open up in English and at the same time HA stands for hapësirë, space and PU for publike, public in English.
For more, visit blessedunrest.org
