When I heard that a new film was being made called “Albanian Gangster”, my first thought was that it would be a gratuitous exploitation of Albania that just reinforced a negative preconception. Following on from films such as ‘Taken’ that used Albanians as scapegoats for villains and nefarious psychopathic characters, I was worried that this film would seek to do the same. I am happy to report that I was wrong.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rPcJVbf18vI
After chatting with some of the cast and Matthew A Brown via social media for a few weeks, I was keen to catch up with them when they arrived in Tirana. Prior to the premiere that will take place in Pristina on October 11th and Tirana of October 18th, Matthew and lead actor John Rezaj are on a whistlestop promo tour, taking in the sights and sounds of Albania and Kosovo and connecting with their audience on the ground. I met with them on a Tuesday evening in LaVeen, Tirana, over a few drinks to understand more about the who, the what, they why, and the how behind Albanian Gangster.
John Rezaj is a whirlwind of energy. With a thick New York drawl, he orders his Hennessey in accented Albanian and lights up a cigarette. He is warm, friendly and personable, but he has one of those faces that you can tell has known hardship, and as I found out more about the film, it was not hard to see why he was a perfect choice for the role. Explaining his background to me, he tells me the story of how he spent his early years in the mountains of northern Albania, not far from the Montenegran border. This was the 1970s, a time when the icy grip of communism controlled every part of the country, every part of citizens lives, and people were trapped under the oppression of Hoxha and his cronies. Then, one night, John’s family decided to flee their home and travel across the mountains into Montenegro. At this time, had they been caught they would have been shot on the spot or imprisoned in a camp for the rest of their lives, so it is not hard to imagine how desperate they must have been to take this risk. He doesn’t remember much of the journey except for the fact that his mother carried him for 13 hours, through feet of snow until they reached the safety of the border.
“I don’t remember being scared, I think I was too young to be scared. But I do remember freezing my ass off”, he tells me laughing as he takes a drag on his cigarette.
He returned to Albania a few years ago and visited his village for the first time since that fateful night. He explained that whilst he didn’t remember the village as such, he instinctively stopped outside the house that was once his family home, sensing that this is where his story began. At that particular moment in time, he had no desire to return to live in his home country, but seeing how it is now and craving a different pace of life from the streets of New York, he talks excitedly about wanting to move back.
“I’m getting old now, that ain’t no life for me, I want to slow it down a bit and enjoy, I’m thinking of moving back here you know?”
John’s character is that of Leon, an Albanian that has been forced to survive on the mean streets of the Bronx. After coming out of a long stretch in prison, he has a chance encounter with the man who ratted him out and landed him behind bars. Whilst the story that includes violence, crime, and the typical things associated with the gangster life, he is quick to explain that it is not glorifying this lifestyle. The aim of both him, and the writer and director Matthew is to tell the reality, a real story of struggle that was and is faced by many immigrants upon their arrival in America. John tells me that he has received constant discrimination from police and other members of society purely based on his Albanian surname.
“The Police pull you over, as soon as they see you got an Albanian surname that’s it, they turn the car over, it happens all the time.”
Whilst no one is suggesting that a life of crime and violence pays, this is a story of survival and struggle that is, unfortunately, the reality for so many people, regardless of their nationality. Whilst John is quick to point out that the story is not about him, he explains that it could be, and it could also be about many people he knows or many people that the audience might know. The character of Leon is someone that was dealt a tough hand in the game of life, and at times was forced into things that were less than ideal purely out of desperation and a desire to survive. Matthew is also quick to point out that this is not just any old gangster film, that it has been carefully curated to be a cinematic masterpiece- one that will draw on the gritty realities of real life and present the very real stories that occur in the Albanian-American community in the Bronx, New York.
I was curious to understand how Matthew had the idea to create a film about the Albanian-American underworld and whilst it started out as just an idea to focus on a story that hasn’t been overdone as much as Italian Mafia stories, it evolved into something much more personal. He spoke of the difficulties of infiltrating the underworld but that his immersion into the culture was an awe-inspiring experience which made his skin crawl with the conviction that he had chosen the right path.
“This was what I had to do, I knew I needed to go all in, and throw myself off the ledge into the unknown- this has been our whole crazy-ass process since day one!”
He then goes on to explain that over 18 months of research and the subsequent time spent filming, he has developed a deep affinity with Albania, Albanians, and their culture. As we discuss our mutual love of the warmth and strength that prevails in the Albanian community, he becomes quite overwhelmed. Like me, the friendships he has nurtured, the hospitality he has received and the experiences that he has developed because of this country and its people, is something that came quite unexpectedly. As his connection and passion with Albanians grew, it became more and more important to him to tell real stories- John’s mother is in the trailer, most of his friends are now Albanian, and it was important to him to premiere the film in Kosova and Albania, before America.
When I ask them about the reception they have received so far, they start to talk at once in excited and enthusiastic tones. Their efforts have been warmly welcomed by Albanians in the Balkans, as well as in the Albanian-American community in New York. They have even chosen to use Kosova-based Albanian musicians Unikkatil and Ledri Vula to create the soundtrack to further reiterate their dedication, respect, and love to the Albanian community.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BocTBeEHlBJ/?taken-by=thebalkanista
Matthew tells me there is already a follow-on film in post-production and he is bursting with ideas to tell more stories about Albania and its people. As our conversation shifts to how much he is enjoying his time in Albania, he lets me into a little secret that him and his wife, lead actress Ashley C Williams, are even considering relocating here. I laugh and tell him that this is quite a normal reaction and Albania has the power to do that to people, as we “gezuar” with the last mouthful of drink, I tell them that Tirana has them now.
The ancient codes and traditions, besa, respect, truth, reality, friendship, and struggle are the main words that resounded with me as we finished our interview. I am hopeful that this film will be a success, and whilst at first, I was hesitant about its concept and content, after meeting with these guys, I can see and feel the raw emotion that has gone into creating and filming this story. I can’t wait to see it, and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us in the future.
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Ashley C Willams here
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