The screening of the Albanian-language film “Lejleku” directed by Kosovar filmmaker Isa Qosja at the Xhada Film Festival in Podgorica, Montenegro, was abruptly halted during an open-air showing on Wednesday evening.
According to organizers, the interruption occurred after a group of unidentified individuals voiced loud objections to the film being in Albanian, reportedly shouting nationalist slogans and threats.
“After a group of individuals expressed dissatisfaction over the screening, we decided to halt the showing for safety reasons. Police were present at the scene as part of their official duties,” festival organizers said.
Condemnation from NGOs and International Community
The violent interruption was strongly condemned by NGOs, which stated that it constitutes a serious attack on artistic and cultural freedom of expression and a manifestation of hate based on national and linguistic identity.
“A group of aggressors interrupted the screening simply because the film was in Albanian. It is concerning that such an attack occurred in a multiethnic state where Albanian is constitutionally recognized as an official language,” the NGOs said, as reported by Montenegrin media outlets Vijesti and Pobjeda.
The NGOs also called on police and prosecutors to identify the perpetrators and urged ruling parties to prevent further nationalist provocations that could destabilize Montenegro’s civic harmony.
The European Union delegation in Montenegro, which funded the festival, also expressed concern.
“Artistic freedom of expression is an essential component of freedom of speech and a core democratic value,” the EU delegation said on X.
About the Film and Festival
- The Xhada Film Festival, now in its tenth year, is an international festival for debut films, primarily held in open-air venues in Podgorica.
- “Lejleku” premiered in September 2024 at the PriFest International Film Festival in Prishtina.
- The film, produced by Artikulacija (Podgorica) in cooperation with ABHO Film and ABA Film from Montenegro, and other production houses from Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia, received €80,000 from the Eurimages European Film Fund.
- Set in the abandoned village of Vuthaj, home to an ethnic Albanian population near the Montenegro-Albania border, the film explores the story of three generations of women facing the challenges of emigration.
