In The Name Of Vjosa

Synopsis

The Vjosa is one of the oldest rivers in Europe and still has a very long natural watercourse (270 km). Flowing from Greece into Albania, it meanders through a wide valley with extensive softwood floodplains that provide spawning grounds for fish as well as habitats for migratory birds and many other species. Finally, the Vjosa flows into the sea north of the Narta Lagoon.

For the people who live on its banks, the Vjosa plays a central role in their daily lives. The river terraces provide the villages with fertile land for agriculture and animal husbandry. The abundance and diversity of fish are an essential economic factor and livelihood for local fishermen. Recreational tourism on the Vjosa and its tributaries is becoming increasingly important, especially in recent years, when sports such as rafting, paddling and swimming have become more popular.

The existence of numerous small businesses and ecotourism enterprises depends on a free-flowing Vjosa. In addition, the crystal clear river has an emotional value for the people of Albania: the Vjosa is perceived as a cultural heritage. Many girls are named after the Vjosa today; the name stands for the beauty and the untouched nature of the river.

Hydropower generation is currently the biggest threat to rivers. More than 400 new hydropower plants are planned in Albania. Along the Albanian section of the Vjosa, the Ministry of Energy wants to build eight dams...

Director’s Statement

The film about the Vjosa is a second project in which a river landscape plays the central role. As for the film THE NOISE OF LETEA, www.thenoiseofletea.com, which I also recorded with Eric Berg seven years ago in Romania, we were again moved here by the still largely untouched landscape. The focus of Eric Berg and me was to do something for the preservation of this still-natural region. People still go about their often hard work with their hands, often covering long distances on foot or by mule every day. M.L.: When the Albanian photographer Abi Shehu and the mountaineer Enis Shehu guided me through her homeland and along the Vjosa River during a 2019 workshop, I was reminded of this light-hearted time of my youth during hitchhiking trips to Romania and Bulgaria. I returned in Automn 2020 to this enchanted place with a small film crew to make this movie. The attention lay on the beauty of this landscapes and therefor the essay film is an invitation to folow to the comments of people of Malakastra and Përmet.

Award Winner

Golden Sparrow International Film Festival, Paris Play Film Festival, Milan Gold Awards, Anatolian Film Awards

Official Selection

New York Istanbul Short Film Festival, Tirana International Film Festival, Mabig Film Festival, Golden Bridge İstanbul, Short Film Festival, MedFF, Siracusa, DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival, Tirana, Rome Movie Awards, Florence Film Awards, Paris Film Awards, Rome Independent Prisma Awards, Equinox Mountain Environmental Film Festival

Honorable Mention

World Indie Film Awards, Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival