Enver Hoxha photo: How I handled it. Here's the story of the last picture

Petrit Kumi is an old photographer from those who have taken the first picture of Albania first in the 1990s. Often photographed as it should be and not as it really was, he has traveled almost all over the country and for more than 15 years has been a personal photograph of the former dictator, Enver Hoxha.

Today, although a man of age, he has left, not the instrument written in the light, but with a change: Now I use it for fun. Now it's not people in focus, it's nature. The Kumi family has been surrounded by cameras, his wife has also been a photographer, and the Kumi couple have inherited this profession from their children. Today he resides in the heart of the former Block, in an area where only with a bag in his youth was hewed into a bag to photograph the family of the leader of the time, Enver Hoxha.

The realist of thousands of photos shows in an interview about Day being photographed under dictatorship, how happy life reflected when it wasn't. A history of trade, between duty and censorship. And a confession to the last portrait of former dictator Hoxha.

Kum, when did you realize that photography would be your profession?

I had finished Liceu for painting and started working in a magazine of my time with the layout. There he worked an older photographer who for the sake of the truth drank a little alcohol and became a problem and was often criticized by the directors. At such times, I was forced to take my camera and take pictures. The picture was also taken in the dark room in our time. That dark room process for me is a never-ending experience. Because that's where I was excited and preoccupied with how this film would turn out, whether it would turn out the way I wanted it to or not.

It was the years "50-55 when I started taking pictures and I was still an amateur. After 1955 my picture began to like him. I became more involved in sporting activities and then gave them an appetite to enter people's lives, go to the village, or engage in some activity. Then I started going out and serving abroad. I've often been to the Soviet Union at the time.

How was Albania photographed versus real Albania?

But there were changes, for I was unwittingly influenced by the orientations and propaganda of the day, and it was remarkable propaganda. In those years people were closed. You couldn't take a picture of a woman wearing her two fingers on her knee. It was also polite to observe the rule. Even when someone came to you with such an end you told him you needed it under your knee to be okay. Within this political education, there were very rigid people who couldn't direct the camera and viewed it as foreign and scary, thinking about where their picture would go. I've often had to flee to Kukes or Gjirokastra. We took pictures of everyone, and I carried the vazeline in the bag to cover their wounds. It didn't take suffering on your face. I managed to act like actors. I have a miner from Bulqiza who is a powerful businessman today; when I put him in the magazine, they told me where you got this actor. The way I composed it was a movie framework. I used to cover her with the tub. These are the tricks I got from foreign literature.

Could this be considered a <x0 malpractice”?

It might be a bit.

How did you become an important photographer for the guidance of time?

First, though, they enjoyed my work, photographs from the terrain, socialist landscape - factories, palace constructions, since I see them today. But then it was important that they said that we were the richest and happiest country in the world, and I had to bring it in the way that leadership wanted. I would take the lead in looking at my picture trying to get out as beautifully as it was. At that time, they chose people from different professions and understood, the best. He (the dictator) chose both Bahchevan and the butcher and the cook. This was true in other countries like Russia or China. They especially enjoyed my work in the magazine. I've been working on some magazines, all the way to photo director at ATSH.

When did you first get in touch with Enver Hoxha?

I was in service outside Tirana, and as soon as I get home, I find the worried woman who had come to pieces of paper, saying that the next day Sunday, I had to go to the Hoxha family. I was told you'd go into this gate at a time and I started to worry about how I would do it.

What year is this about?

In the late 1960 ' s, when I was old enough to grow up professionally. Anyway, I went there after crossing those long corridors and waited for two or three hours. I met Hoxha's wife, who wanted some beautiful pictures. After I took the first shots, I was relieved of my emotions. Because you have to understand one thing, it wasn't easy to be in front of him. The test was successfully passed, and the family enjoyed all the photos.

What about after the first photos?

Then in every activity I was a photograph following him, both on trips abroad and within the country. I remember when I told them once, in 1978, that I'm sick of my kidneys, they told me: “Come here because he has a doctor with him” I shouldn't have missed you, and we were forced, we couldn't say no. We were like soldiers.

You were just a photographer to, or have you had a relationship up a bit friendly?

It couldn't be about friendship.

How did he behave in front of the camera?

Actress. He didn't mind. Plus, he was a good-looking man, and he didn't mind me, because he didn't have a bad picture.

What was the most embarrassing moment for you?

Visits were of great physical fatigue. I was looking for a special point and no one could imitate me. My wish was to get my picture taken and put it in the house. The embarrassing moment was Enver Hoxha's last photograph because I received a message when I was the head of photography at ATSH in 1984. I had to go to Enver Hoxha's house and take a picture. I received a special order, and one of the rooms returned to the studio.

Why did you do the studio?

I didn't know why at the time. So it was, I and my brother - in - law, who no longer lives and who has given me a great experience. I took it to fix my lighting because he specializeed in this part. What I remember is I've waited 13 straight days for Enver Hoxha to come take the picture.

What took 13 days?

I couldn't figure this out at the time. Someone said he was too busy, someone else said another reason. But I was alone in that room. I went to 9:00 and stayed until 2:00 p.m. every day. I went in the morning and the guards told me, “don't worry that today I think it's going to be” On the 13th day, he came with his wife and escort Sulo Gradec. I had prepared the studio by testing two employees who were long like Enver, because I had to count the lighting for a tall man. I had taken several photos of other people to calculate lighting on schedule. After I couldn't do the same light at 10 or 14.00. The nexmija told me: “come on, hands” But it was absurd that he held me 13 days to have a beautiful picture and finally said to me: “Give me your hands”.

How did you get that picture?

Several lessons I had learned helped me. I had previously paid a visit to China, where Mao Ce Dunh's picture showed me some tricks he had with Mao for photography. He first had a conversation with him, talked to him about economic growth, or what time will be, and whether he is keeping it good. This brought him into the mood and brought him a more smiling view, and he was relieved of the thought of taking pictures. And when I faced Enver in those moments, I saw that he was a little under contract and I said: “My friend Nexmije, but if we took those kids and put them around” so I remembered the Chinese picture. I couldn't talk about agriculture and economics that nobody was leaving me, but I thought about those words better. Nexmije's response was nervous: “And you unplug it”, he said, “I say shake hands, you look for children” Someone else around listened and acted. In 10 minutes the kids came in. I took the smaller one and put it in his lap. The nexmija tells me: “What are you doing?” Enver was kind of released, and I was telling him to step up. I usually grabbed it from my shoulders to decide where it was best for the light, but this time I was allowed to touch it. That's when I realized he was sick. And on the right flank let no one touch it. As soon as I took the picture, I signaled to them to remove the children and immediately took them away. At that time, I also gave him the famous portrait that was used many years. Fear was how these movies would turn out. They were delicately colored film Soluions because they never made a mistake. When it first came out, I enjoyed being good. That's where I got free. All of this was done in their lab because they didn't let you go anywhere else. Then his companion took them and left for Paris to stamp. They used that photograph when he died on April 11, 1985. When Enver Hoxha was separated from his life, family people came to my house and said: I told them they have everything on their own. We went there and we chose what was best and the front page came out on “The People's Voice”. The last picture was taken by me. Even in the album I named it the last picture. For five to six months he died.

And have you photographed the death ceremony?

Don't ask him. It hurt people. From the monument of Skenderbeu to the Academy of Arts, there was a column of mourning.

What about Nizemija taking pictures of you?

I didn't deal with him. There were two officers who were also photographers who pulled him out.

Whom would you isolate as the character of “

I've been working 30 years straight in the magazine “After the year '85, I was forcibly taken to ATSH, which was the largest point of reference to photography, both inside and abroad. Enver Hoxha no longer lived. Ramiz Alia, who I thought was very, very difficult to photograph, had taken his place.

Peter, do you have homesickness for that time?

No, I'm just nostalgic. I'm out of time. I wish I had it today. I want to photograph people. Thii pursues, captures their psychology, young and old. I want to put everyone in the picture. All the people I photograph had friends. I made friends, then photographed them. Because they were contacted.

How important is it to compose a beautiful picture?

It's very important, because the photograph should be a director of his picture. I remember one time when I went to Përmet to take some pictures for the Permet convention. There, all night long, I thought about what I'd do to get a special picture. I thought that since it was the city of flowers, I would take a child who with a flower in his hand is directed to the Partisan at a monument that is there.

And I did. The picture turned out to be beautiful. I liked that picture so much that after a while I was told it's gonna expand and it's gonna be placed in Enver Hoxha's office. That picture is still there. Here I mean, my picture made the idea beautiful. The child that gives flowers to the winner. /Day/