''Kolonel Bunker'' is a 1996 Albanian

historical film A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction such as ...

directed and written by

Kujtim Çashku Kujtim Çashku (born 5 August 1950) is an Albanian film director and screenwriter who has won numerous awards at international film festivals, including the Critics Prize at the 1996 Bastia Mediterranean Film Festival and the UNESCO Award at the ...

. Starring Agim Qirjaqi and Anna Nehrebecka, the film covers

Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...

's mass construction of

bunkers in Albania Concrete military bunkers are a ubiquitous sight in Albania, with an average of 5.7 bunkers for every square kilometer (14.7 per square mile). The bunkers () were built during the Hoxhaist government led by Enver Hoxha from the 1960s to the ...

. French and Polish companies produced the film alongside Albania's Orafilm.

Plot

ruled Albania with an iron fist for nearly 40 years, and for a long time Albania was the only

Maoist Maoism, officially Mao Zedong Thought, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed while trying to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic o ...

regime and by far the most isolationist society in Europe—politically, psychologically and physically. This film is about Colonel Muro Neto, a character based on the historical engineer Josif Zagali, the man Hoxha charged with constructing the bunkers throughout the country which ostensibly protected Albania from its enemies both without and within. He became known as "Kolonel Bunker."

Cast

*Agim Qirjaqi as Muro Neto *Anna Nehrebecka as Ana *Cun Lajci as Eminenca Gri *Fatime Lajçi as Aviator's wife *Xhevat Limani as Prison commander *Guljem Radoja *Kadri Roshi *Petrit Malaj as Internment commander

Production

Directed and written by

, ''Kolonel Bunker'' was produced by Albania's Orafilm, France's A 3B Productions, and Poland's Film Studio Dom. Kahena Attia-Riveill edited the film and Andrzej Krause composed the music. Josif Zagali, who Muro Neto is based off, consulted for the film. Filming was done in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

Release

''Kolonel Bunker'' was released in 1996. It was shown at the

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (), commonly abbreviated MWFF in English or FFM in French, was an annual film festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1977 to 2019.Thessaloniki International Film Festival The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) is a film festival held every November in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is organized by the Thessaloniki Film Festival under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture. It features internationa ...

. Albania selected it as its

nominee A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group or election to an office, in which case a ...

for the

Academy Award for Best International Feature Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

at the

69th Academy Awards The 69th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 24, 1997, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremo ...

, but it was not one of the finalists.

Reception

Philip Kemp, writing for '' Varitey'', praised the film's "grimly humorous impact" and that technical problems and "self-consciously poetic interludes" did not weaken it.

References

Works cited

* * * * * *

External links

* {{Albanian submission for Academy Awards 1996 films Polish historical films Albanian-language films Films set in Albania 1990s historical films French historical films Albanian historical films 1990s French films