Xhanfise Keko (27 January 1928 – 22 December 2007), born in

Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in Southern Albania, southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë moun ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, was an

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

. Keko was one of the seven founders of New Albania Film Studio () (present-day Albafilm). She was the first female director and directed some 25 different movies between 1952 and 1984 including the 1975 film, ''

Beni Walks by Himself ''Beni Walks on His Own'' () is a 1975 Albanian comedy family film directed by Xhanfize Keko and written by Kiço Blushi. Summary Beni is an eight-year-old boy living in Korçë with his parents. Beni leads a sheltered life. His mother is very ...

'' and '' Tomka and His Friends'', both awarded at the

Giffoni International Film Festival The Giffoni International Film Festival is an Italian children's film festival which takes place annually in Giffoni Valle Piana, Campania. It began in 1971. The Giffoni International Film Festival typically has around 100,000 guests and has h ...

. Her films were generally targeted toward younger audiences but contemporary critics praise her "sensitive approach to her material, a technical facility outstripping her contemporaries and a highly original voice".

Early life

Xhanfise Çipi was born on 27 January 1928, in

Career

In 1950, Keko was one of six Albanians, including her future husband Endri Keko, sent to study at the Moscow Central Studio for Documentary Film. Her education was focused on film editing. Keko edited 140 films, mostly newsreels and documentaries, in the first seventeen years of her career. She participated in the opening of Kinostudio by handing a pair of scissors to

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 ...

. Keko's directorial debut, ''Spoiled Mimoza'' (''Mimoza llastica''), was made in 1973. Her son

Teodor Keko Teodor Keko (September 2, 1958 – August 20, 2002) was an Albanian writer, journalist, and politician. Life Keko was born in the Albanian capital, Tirana, on 2 September 1958, to cinematographer parents Endri and Xhanfise Keko. He studied at t ...

was born in 1958. Keko retired from filmmaking in 1984. Her husband and son died before her in 1989 and 2002 respectively.

Filmography

*''

Taulanti kërkon një motër Taulantii or Taulantians ('swallow-men'; Ancient Greek: , or , ; ) were an Illyrian people that lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria (modern Albania). They dominated at various times much of the plain between the rivers Drin (''Dril ...

'' (1984) *'' Një vonesë e vogël'' (1982) *'' Kur xhirohej një film'' (1981) *''

Partizani i vogël Velo Partizani may refer to: * Partizani ro">:ro:Partizani, Tulcea">ro/nowiki>, a village in Maliuc Commune, Tulcea County, Romania * , a village in Dalgopol Municipality, Varna Province, Bulgaria * Partizani, the old name for Darosava, a village in ...

'' (1980) *''

Pas gjurmëve PAS or Pas may refer to: Companies and organizations * Pakistan Academy of Sciences * Pakistan Administrative Service * Pan Am Southern, a freight railroad owned by Norfolk Southern and CSX * Pan American Silver, a mining company in Canada * Pa ...

'' (1978) *'' Tomka and His Friends'' () (1977) *'' Malësorët pas komisarëve'' (1976) *'' Tinguj lufte'' (1976) *''

'' () (1975) *'' Për popullin, me popullin'' (1975) *'' Reportazh nga Tropoja'' (1975) *'' Qyteti më i ri në botë'' (1974) *'' Mimoza llastica'' (1973) *'' Kongresi i 6 PPSH'' (1972) *'' Kryengritje në pallat'' (1972) *'' Shkolla tingujt ngjyra ''(1972) *'' ABC...ZH'' (1971) *'' Nga festivali artistik i fëmijve'' (1969) *'' Kalitemi nepërmjet aksioneve'' (1968) *''

Lart flamujt e aksioneve Before the popularization of the Internet in the 1990s, Internet slang defined a luser (sometimes expanded to local user; also luzer or luzzer) as a painfully annoying, stupid, or irritating computer user.p. 214 The word is a Blend word, blend ...

'' (1968) *'' Ato çajnë përpara'' (1967) *'' Gra heroike shqiptare përpara'' (1967) *'' Miqësi e madhe unitet luftarak'' (1966) *'' Tregim për njerzit e punës'' (1963) *'' Kongresi i 3 i PPSH'' (1952)

References

Works cited

* * 1928 births 2007 deaths People from Gjirokastër Albanian film directors Albanian women film directors Albanian cinematographers Albanian women cinematographers Albanian artists People's Artists of Albania 20th-century Albanian screenwriters {{Albania-film-director-stub