Logline

ZEKA, a criminal wanted for murder in the United States of America, has escaped to Pristina, where he manages a bar known for violent disturbances. His external world is clouded when the past follows him in Kosovo, while internally he finds himself in conflict with the arrival of a new girl in the building, whose apartment  ends up becoming his only shelter.

Synopsis

ZEKA, (34), is wanted for murder in the USA

He manages a local bar in Prishtina with his friends with whom they often reminisce about their days in New York. The boys communicate with each other mostly in English trying to preserve what little bit of their American identity they can. They long for the life they left behind, remembering everything with nostalgia, even the time they spent in prison.

Zeka’s world begins to twist when VLORA (20s), a strange girl moves next door to

Him and he becomes increasingly curious about her.

Everything spins out of Zeka’s control when US and Kosovo sign an extradition agreement. Kosovo police raid Zeka’s bar arresting and wounding some of his friends. As the police comes to his apartment, Zeka jumps to the neighbor’s balcony and enters the apartment where Vlora lives.

Director’s Statement

When I was 18 years old, I left California and moved to New York. To Bronx, New York. During this period of my life I was exposed to a completely different world. I was surrounded by people who by most were considered bad, they were criminals. In time I learned that this group operated through a specific code. The street code, in which reputation and honor were the most important. They mostly lived day to day, they wanted to get things fast and enjoy them well. They risked a lot for very little. They didn’t have any grand ambitions although they spoke in very grandiose ways.

I was fascinated by their logic, by their mentality. By the sheer chaos that was their life. By their ability to overcome even the most tragic things with humor. When a person of such background accepts you as one of their own, brings you into their circle, they do everything in their power to protect you and help you. This made me think a lot about the issue of morals.

Is one bad if he is very good to some? Years later I came to Pristina and met some of the same group who either fled America or were deported. In particular I met a young man who was falsely accused of murder and had to flee and change his entire identity. Hence the inspiration.

To see this group of people ten years ago in Prishtina was something extraordinary for me.

They hung out at a specific bar, they mostly spoke English, they spent their time reminiscing about their experiences in the United States. To me it was a sort of reverse immigration. They just didn’t seem to fit in. I remember thinking I wish I had a camera to record them, that’s how unusual they were.

Mjellma Istrefi – Producer

Valbona Jashari – Director

Short Bio of the director

Mjellma Istrefi is a director, scriptwriter and producer from Kosovo. She has a lot of set experience on; films (producer, director, production manager & 1st AD), music videos (director), advertisements (director, 1st AD, production manager).

When Mjellma is not working in films, she is composing/writing songs which she also sings.