19th edition of Francophone Film Festival in Kosovo begins

The Francophone Film Festival will be held from today to November 18th in Kosovo, which this year is the theme that takes place in this festival's films.

The opening of the festival will take place today at 7:30, in Kino Armata, with the screening of the premiere film “I'm sorry. While part of the programme will be comedy from Belgium, Switzerland and France, which will travel to Pristina cinemas Prizren, Mitrovica, Peja and Gjakova.

The innovation for this edition will also be Kosovo's “Unforgettable Spring in the forgotten village of”, from the Bekteshi Framework, which was also part of the international festival in Nancy, France.

At a news conference, France's ambassador to Kosovo, Marie Christine Bultel, said they have chosen this year to honour comedy and humor.

I have the pleasure of announcing openly the 19th edition of the Francophone Film Festival, this year we have chosen to honour comedy and humor. Humor from Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Kosovo and France will be present at the Pristina, Prizren, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjakova and Vushtrri cinemas. Is there any better than a festival to unite all Frankophones and art lovers around this language we share? Kosovo has chosen in 2014 to become an observer member of the international Francophony organisation, since then a proactive policy has successfully started to promote French-language radiation in the country”, she said.

She said Kosovo is a true player in the world of Francophony's film. That, according to her, is why they have decided this year to honour the contemporary Kosovo creativity by decorating with the order of gold and Francophone director Blerta Zeqiri.

While Albert Prenkaj, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that different activities are organised annually for promoting Francophony in Kosovo.

Each year, various activities are organised for the promotion of Francophony in Kosovo. The Francophone Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo and our institutions in general co-operate closely to offer the general public the opportunity to discover an endless universe of French talk world cultural assets. They say cinema is a universal language that unites the most diverse people, for 19 years the week of Francophones brings together the great lovers of French language and culture, who are numerous and traditionally exist in our country. Through such activities we highlight our strong commitment to strengthening the presence of Francophone language and culture in Kosovo, but also our commitment to values that unite us with the large Francophone family, such as promoting peace, democracy, gender equality and human rights”, he said.

Pauline Menthonex of the Swiss Embassy in Kosovo said cinematography constituted an extraordinary tool to deal with stereotypes, but also funny.

The “in Switzerland lives 1 million and 800 thousand francophones, which means approximately the population of Kosovo, means we care about promoting French in Switzerland. Switzerland is very proud to count in its population many Kosovo francophones in small cantons. In Switzerland as in Kosovo, linguistic distinctions are very strong and identities that characterize each of our regions add to our sense of belonging. In Switzerland as in Kosovo, the differences between the region and the region are often the source of jokes, the difference between Switzerland and France, which can be compared to differences between Kosovo and Albania”, she said.

Support for the Francophone Film Festival in Kosovo has promised Directorate for Culture in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Jehona Shyti.

“We as the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports will continue to support membership in this organisation through financing numerous activities, which are constantly being varied and are bringing numerous values to the Kosovo public. I am happy once again to say that on behalf of the Ministry of Culture today, I guarantee that we will be supporters of this activity and other cultural activities in case of Francophony's many activities”, she said.

The film festival will close on November 18th at 7:00 in KINO ARMAT with the film from Luxembourg “Superzemp Retorns” by Felix Koch.

The Francophone Film Festival in Kosovo is organised in co-operation with the diplomatic representatives of Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg, the French Alliance of Pristina, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Kosovo Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.