Proper cine journalism is essential for healthy cinema industry: Veton Nurkollari
Veton Nurkollari is a noted Kosovo film professional and artistic director of the famous international documentary and short film festival DokuFest. Recently, he visited Bangladesh with the
invitation of the Embassy of Kosovo in Bangladesh to join two-day Kosovo Film Days for the first time in Bangladesh last month in the National Museum, Dhaka. The Embassy of Kosovo in Bangladesh organised this event in association with the Bangladesh National Museum and DokuFest, Kosovo. In this film days, Bangladeshi audiences enjoyed one
feature film and seven short films
from Kosovo. As part of Kosovo Film Day’s International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) jointly with the Department of Television, Film and Photography of Dhaka University arranged a Master class on CINEMA FUTURE with Veton Nurkollari on the premises of the department at DU.
NN: What is the strength of Kosovo cinema?
Veton Nurkollari: I would say that one of the biggest strengths of Kosovo cinema is this new generation of emerging filmmakers that are freeing themselves from traditional ways of making films and are bringing fresh, and in some cases, even experimental approaches
to their filmmaking practices.
NN: Please tell a little about DokuFest
Veton Nurkollari: DokuFest is the largest and most important film festival in Kosovo. It started as a very small initiative in 2002 by a group of people with the simple aim of saving and reviving the last remaining cinema in the city of Prizren. Today, it has grown to become one of the most respected documentary and short film
festivals in this part of the world.
NN: What is the core focus
of the DokuFest?
Veton Nurkollari: As mentioned above, DokuFest is predominantly a documentary and short film
festival and its main focus is in bringing the best of documentary and short film to its audience in Kosovo. However, Dokufest is also focused very much on using documentary film in the classrooms as well as in running training
programmes for young filmmakers through its DokuLab initiative.
NN: As we know within a very short time Kosovo film
professionals are successfully working in world cinema, so
what is the essence?
Veton Nurkollari: There are probably different reasons and many factors for the recent
successes of Kosovo’s cinema, one probably being increased interest
in a rather unknown cinematic art coming from a place very few know or heard about, except for war-related issues. The other could be the above-mentioned fresh
or simplistic take on important themes, resulting in a new cinema that has already started to be labeled New Kosovo Wave
in cinema.
NN: What about film education in Kosovo?
Veton Nurkollari: In Kosovo, there is Film and TV department as part of the University of Prishtina. Still not enough as we feel there should be more options to study film but as I mentioned Kosovo is
a young country and not
everything is possible in
such a short time.
NN: Do you think proper cine journalism can help to navigate the cinema industry?
Veton Nurkollari: Proper cine journalism is essential and
very much needed for a healthy cinema industry.
NN: Did you watch any Bangladeshi movie? If not, then why? Do you think this is a lack of proper distribution of Bangladeshi cinema worldwide?
Veton Nurkollari: I have watched very few Bangladeshi movies, unfortunately. Partly because not many films from Bangladesh are being submitted to our festival but also because I don’t see them often at other festivals too. Not sure if it has to do with the lack of distribution of Bangladeshi
cinema though, it could be. But I have seen a Bangladeshi film recently, called ‘A Day After…’
by Kamar Ahmad Simon,
an absolutely wonderful film,
I should say.
NN: Is there any possibility
to make Kosovo and
Bangladesh co-production?
Veton Nurkollari: In Kosovo, there are possibilities for co-productions through a state-funded Kosovo Cinematography Centre where a minority co-production scheme exists. So, in theory, a
co-production between Kosovo and Bangladesh is possible and I would encourage Bangladeshi producers to explore this opportunity.
NN: I think this is your first time visit in Bangladesh, so how do you enjoy and what is
your observation?
Veton Nurkollari: Yes, this was my first time visit in Bangladesh and while quite short I did enjoy my time in Dhaka. I hope to return soon to explore a bit more of
your beautiful country and its
cinematic heritage.
[Ahmed Tepantor is a cultural
journalist. On behalf of our
newspaper, he took the interview of Veton Nurkollari during Kosovo Film Days in Dhaka.]
