Some of those stories have made it into this charming film, which has been acted with such camaraderie by the cast, and told in a way that leaves you bursting with laughter while getting stung with sadness as the brilliant script transitions from funny to incredibly moving scenes.

Such scenes as Shaban, the inseparable friend of Zeka, playing Nine Men’s Morris. This time, however, without his friend. The scene, about five minutes in length, sucks every inch of your emotion, even though I tried to put a brave face on, I ended up looking like an idiot at a wedding. Beaming with glee, almost in tears, whilst desperately wanting to burst out a chant – ‘Oh Eki Rrah-maaaaa-nnni!’

“Kosova Calling” delivers a multi-layered story that on the surface makes you chuckle, but like a spicy chili in a mixed salad, it slowly grips you as the aftermath of war and the way such consequences burden society are delivered in this comedy with wings.

These stories have played out in Kosovar films numerous times before but seldom do they get told this way. Not many directors manage to mirror the feel and look of Kosovo, the way KC does. Many directors have tried, and somewhat come up short when delving into the consequences of post-war mental health, sexual frustration, family secrecy. The way Eki and Jeton approach these intensely touching subjects through witty lines, extraordinary beautiful looking scenes — a treat for the eyes — is inspirational.

When Bekim, the son of Zeka, is running away from his burning home, the audience learns that his mother and a friend of hers are burning alive inside. In the audience is my mother, who is watching the real family home burn in the background! This time however, it’s in a film, but the memory is so fresh with us all, we both looked each other in the eye and let out a little sigh. There she was, proud of her son, while keeping away the tears and the memories of what actually happened in that house.

The mise-en-scene, a war building, a burned house left untouched, reused for a film to tell the story that lives in all of us. This, to say the least, was moving.

At this point, a little kid, who saw his opportunity, just like Kema — the cheeky little kid in the film — decided to walk like a mini Al Capone across the cinema, while puffing out his little chest and smiling at the audience.

The crowd reactions to key moments in the film was palpable, roars of laughter, that were occasionally met with watery eyes, and sympathetic facial expressions that said, ‘We know exactly what’s going on here.’

Oh, Eki Rrah-maaaaa-nnni!

Feature image: Hasan Rrahmani.

Little brother's watching you

Watching your brother's film in the heart of Prishtina.

Hasan Rrahmani

Little brother's watching you

Watching your brother's film in the heart of Prishtina.

Hasan Rrahmani