BABAI

Writer-Director: Visar Morina, Germany, 2015, 103 min., Albanian and German with English subtitles, digital. Starring: Val Maloku, Astrit Kabashi, Adriana Matoshi, Enver Petrovci, Xhevdet Jashari, Alban Ukaj.

Kosovo in the 1990s, before the Serbian attack and the war that followed: Ten-year-old Nori and his father Gezim make a living by illegally selling smuggled cigarettes. Gezim is determined to go to Germany, even if this means leaving his son behind with relatives. For a long time, Nori tries to stay with his father, but it’s all in vain. In the end, the boy embarks on a long and dangerous journey to find Gezim in Germany. They had both imagined their reunion rather differently.

Visar Morina graduated from the Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln in 2009 with the film Der Schübling. The multi-award winning short film celebrated its premiere at the Filmfestival "Max-Ophüls-Preis" and was broadcast on ARTE. His latest short film Of Dogs and Wallpaper premiered at the International Competition in Locarno in 2013. Babai is his first feature film. Visar Morina was awarded with the MFG-Star 2016.

With this screening, Villa Aurora continues its collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles. Under the label “Villa @ Goethe,” artists residing at the Villa Aurora have the opportunity to showcase their projects (past, present, and future) with the friends, patrons and guests at the Goethe-Institut.

Discussion with filmmaker Visar Morina, moderated by Vera Mijojlić, Director of the Southeast European Film Festival (SEEfest), and reception following the screening.