The Marriage / Martesa
Kosovo, Albania 2017

One of the biggest festival hits from Kosovo and national Oscar submission, The Marriage tackles a very sensitive, taboo topic in the Balkans. Bekim is with his fiancée Anita at a disturbing gathering, the recognition of human remains from a mass grave. Anita’s parents have been missing since the 1999 Kosovar War, and she still has no information or confirmation of their deaths. Any news would be a relief for the couple as their wedding is just two weeks away. On top of that, they also have to face Bekim’s strict and controlling family. Back in Pristina, Bekim unexpectedly meets his best army friend, Nol, and starts to spend more and more time with him, which brings up secrets about their past. Not a typical LGBT drama, the film uses the taboos strongly rooted in patriarchal societies of the Balkans to speak about a contemporary young nation still dealing with its difficult past.

Awards

Tallinn Black Nights FF 2017 (Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting, FIPRESCI Prize)