Production has begun on Hatixhe and Shaban, the third feature film by Kosovar filmmaker Visar Morina. A project that won the prestigious Baumi Award in 2022 (shared with Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April, previously titled Historia and Those Who Find Me, which is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival), Screen Daily confirms that production began this week — we are looking at six-week shoot in capital Pristina and the village of Sllakofc. The filmmaker reteams with thesps Astrit Kabashi and Flonja Kodheli (who topline), Alban Ukaj, Tristan Halilaj and Refet Abazi are the supporting players. Vicky Bane’s Pia Hellenthal and Morina are producing along with Schuldenberg Films’ Sophie Ahrens, Fabian Altenried and Kristof Gerega. If we had to put this on the radar it could fall somewhere between next year’s Cannes to Locarno and or Venice. Morina saw his feature debut Father premiered at the Karlovy Vary fest in 2015, and his 2020 title Exil played in Park City and Berlin (read review).
Hatixhe and Shaban follows a couple living in a village with their three daughters, who must move to the capital looking for work when a family member steals their 12 cows.
