Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Greeting remark by the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports

Among all visual arts, the photography and especially the cinema found a full support in Albania at the beginning of the century. Within a few years from the invention of the photography and the cinema, even in the poor and little Albania the seventh art was joyfully and with no hesitation embraced.

I do believe that this choice of Albanians was not casual. Considering the fact that the cinema shares a twin relationship with the memory of the humanity, for the Albanians the perception of this relationship came quite natural. Even though with a relatively young language, the Albanian memory generates deep on time and consequently strongly feeds the seventh art in Albania.

While I give a thought to the remote history of the cinema in Albania, a natural desire comes to me to hail an important cultural event such as the days of Tirana International Film Festival. The big challenge of the founders of this brilliant idea I believe is strongly achieved; in the heart of Tirana this festival has already created a tradition. It means that this event is step by step becoming part of the artistic memory of the Albanians and not only of the Albanians.

I do believe that this year event will be as successful as other years and why not more successful than the previous editions.

I take the opportunity to greet all the guest artists and participants of this year edition of Tirana Film Festival, among them distinguished names of worldwide cinematography and as well I wish to congratulate with the organizers of such important festival.

Bujar Leskaj
Minister

December 2006

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