MUA BESOJ MË SHPËTOJ PORTRETI emerges from my deep engagement with stories of resilience, memory, and the human spirit under unimaginable circumstances. This film centers on the life of my father, Skender Muja, a painter whose survival during the Kosovo War depended on his art.
Twenty-five years after his abduction and imprisonment in a Serbian detention center, he revisits a harrowing moment when he was ordered to draw the portrait of a Serbian commander. It was a choice forced upon him, but also a powerful demonstration of the enduring relevance of art in the darkest times.
For me, this is not only a story of survival but an exploration of the transformative and contradictory role of creativity in oppressive contexts. Art, in this case, became both a tool of submission and a form of silent resistance, a means to humanize oneself in front of an adversary while preserving a fragile sense of dignity.
At its core, this story compels us to ask the question: What is the role of art in the face of brutality? Can it save us, and if so, at what cost?
Through reflections and reenactments, the film weaves together my father’s memories with a broader meditation on how art navigates the boundaries between power, identity, and survival. At its core, this story compels us to ask the question: What is the role of art in the face of brutality? Can it save us, and if so, at what cost?
As someone shaped by the Kosovo War, I was drawn to my father’s story because it reflects both the fragility and the strength of the human condition. By giving his narrative a cinematic voice, I aim to honor the resilience of those who endured and to remind audiences of the profound connections between art, memory, and survival.
Alban Muja
