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Nichols State University

Office of University Relations
P.O. Box 2033 Thibodaux, Louisiana 70310

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael J. Delaune or Lydia Boudreaux
(985) 448-4143

November 8, 2002

KOSOVAR FILM PRODUCER TO LECTURE AT NICHOLLS STATE

THIBODAUX : In a nation torn by ethnic civil war, one refugee’s determination to succeed allowed him to rise above the strife of his homeland and become the only film producer in Kosovo.

Avni Abazi, a native of Peja, Kosovo, will share samples of his films and discuss his career as an actor, director and film producer and his life as a refugee and college student in the midst of civil war at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12 in room 250 of Peltier Hall on the Nicholls State University campus. The NSU College of Arts and Sciences is sponsoring the visit by Abazi, who is currently touring the United States with U.S. State Department support.

Abazi is a professional actor and television series producer. He studied fine arts and drama at the University of Fine Arts in Tirana in Albania and at the University of Pristina in Kosovo. He also studied for a year at The American University in Bulgaria, where he learned to speak English. While there, contact with fellow students from outside the Balkans helped him to better understand his own culture and its conflicts. Armed with this new knowledge, he helped form the Association of Culture and Art Development in the Balkans, a group whose aim is to break the borders through art and culture in the Balkans by using media, particularly television, to bring people together.

Abazi has performed on stage many times in addition to producing and directing underground theater performances and the first street theater ever produced by Kosovars, a production that performed in seven cities in Kosovo.

His most recent project, producing the 15-part television series "Life in a Land," has achieved unprecedented success. Abazi notes that in the past, the communist government in Yugoslavia would never provide support for Albanian artists. With "Life in a Land," however, Albazi has won government backing that will result in Kosovo’s first educational drama focusing on democratic government, respect for the rule of law, creating and maintaining civil society and the merits of a free press.

In "Life in a Land," Abazi took turns as producer, actor, screenwriter, and director. Nearly 200 people cooperated in making the series, with many of the actors performing in front of the camera for the first time in 15 years. In addition to becoming an increasingly popular television program in Kosovo, "Life in a Land" has received high praise from the U.S. government for its stand on societal reform in promoting multi-ethnic harmony.

Abazi is now planning similar civil-society-based programming with the American Office in Kosovo, including the 10-part series titled "The Freshman" set at a university. He is also planning to branch out with his progressive message of interethnic understanding and reconciliation in other parts of southeastern Europe. His dream is to broadcast "The Freshman" on western European and American television

AGJENCIA E LAJMEVE E KOSOVES - KOSOVA NEWS AGENCY

PrishtinaÃ‚Â«, 14 August (Kosovapress)

One of the newest films of Kosova cinematography is also the series “The life of a land”, which consists of fifteen series. This film portrays the life of Kosova society, in the post war period.

For the making of this film the well known director Isa Qosja says “The life of a land” was the first post war experience that in the film meaning fully pays attention to our reality with a connotation of remarks for the opportunities that our society can meet. Young people from the Academy of Dramatic Arts made this visual remark. I consider that dealing with such a series was as much a provocation, as it was a valuable experience for these future professionals”.

Kosovapress made an interview with the producer of this film, Avni Abazi.

Creating this film was not all about having the idea about it, but a lot more things involved, such as the screenplay, directing, and above all having the means of sponsoring this, and for a young actor such as Avni is, it is a painstaking task that not everybody can handle successfully.

Regarding this, he says:

“After I put my idea in a project-proposal, I contacted the US Office. The truth is that they liked the project a lot. This lead to the further work, which was the American series “On Common Ground”, which treats the problems with which the American society deals. While cooperating with Greg Kay, the spokesman of Michael McClellan, at the US Office for Public Relations, we came to the conclusion that both series deal with same nature of problems. So, “The life of a land” would be a series about the development of civil society in Kosova with entertaining and educative nuances”.

Further on, he tells that the project was realized from “The Association of Culture and Art Development in Balkans ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬“ ACADB” with a donation from US Ofiice in Prishtina. It was also supported by “Mabetex-Tecno Market” Company, Academy of Arts in Prishtina, and with moral support from different institutions.

In this quite big project for the cinematography of Kosova, there 14 directors taking part: Agim Sopi, Sunaj Raqa, Emin Halili, Luan Daka, SkÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â«nder Nimani, Jeton Budima, Jeton Ahmetaj, Ismat Sijarina, Burbuqe Berisha, Artur Tahiraj, Tomor Misini, Ekrem Rrahmani, Eol ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Â¡ashku, as well as the director from London SCOTT SANSOM; 9 screenwriters: Jeton Neziraj, Mrika Krasniqi, Astrit Kabashi, Virtyt Kelmendi, Blerta Zeqiraj, Bekim GrajÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â§evci, Zymber Kelmendi, Avni Abazi, Visar Krusha and 104 actors, 35 from whom are for the first time to be acting in front of the camera. The whole staff, including cinematographers, editors, cameramen, and others counts to 200 people.

When he was asked why he didn’t work with only one director and a screenwriter, Abazi answers:

“These series contain 15 episodes, with 15 different themes. The connection between these episodes is made possible by the characters(persons in the film). In other words, “Jeta e njÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â« toke” series could be taken as e series of short 15-minute movies. The mission of ACADB was created based on this, a mission that has a great value to me and it consists of recruiting Kosova artists and giving them a possibility to show their talents. This means that for the first time, these people had to deal with competition, being aware that from the beginning it was planned that a competetitive Festival should have been held, where best directors, screenwriters and actors would receive awards. Unfortunately, this festival was never held, due to lack of financial means.”

With the help of these series, there were a number of directors that passed their exams in Television Directing. These were: Jeton Ahmetaj, Ismet Sijarina, Burbuqe Berisha, Artur Tahiraj and Tomor Misini at professor Emin Halili.

“For the first time we witness 90 percent of Kosova’s artists working together in a project. It is the first professional television attempt in Kosova” Abazi explains

Avni Abazi has been awarded by the U.S. State Department for his contribution in presenting issues of civil society with cinematography and acting, and also for developing this industry in Kosova..

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY

New Orleans

A Screening of: Life In a Land

Date: Sunday, November 10, 2002

Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm . Location: Bobet 332.....Event Type: Film/Video Presentation

Avni Abazi, a native of the former Yugoslavia, is a professional actor-cum-television series producer. He graduated with a degree from the University of Fine Arts in Tirana in 1997, and completed further studies in the Dramatic Arts at the University of Pristina in 2002. He has performed on stage in various parts of the Balkans in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and other works, and has most recently produced a 15-part television series entitled "Life in a Land". This latest effort is Kosovo's first-ever educational drama focusing on democratic government, respect for the rule of law, creating and maintaining civil society and the merits of a free press. The series, in addition to becoming an increasingly popular TV program in Kosovo has received high praise from the U.S. Government for its stand on societal reform.

Mr. Abazi's current projects include planning similar civil society-based programming with the American Office in Kosovo -- a university-set series called "The Freshmen" -- and plans to branch out with his progressive message of interethnic understanding and reconciliation in other parts of Southeastern Europe.

Mr. Abazi is on a State Department supported tour of the United States. His visit to Loyola is consponsored by the Film Buffs Institute, the Department of Religious Studies, the Phi Beta Kappa Committee and the Biever Lecture series.. The Biever Lecture series is providing funding
in support of the screening.

Tickets or Fees: This screening and talk is free and open to the public. For additional information contact: Andrew Macdonald at 865-2478 or by email at mdonald@loyno.edu

Faruk Begolli

Actor & Director

+381 530 370

It?s very important that in those conditions, in a time referring to it as lethargic, when no Television or any one else produced any thing, the serial ?The Life of a Land? an edu-drama in nature was made, which gave a chance of performing for the first time to many film directors, screenplay writers and actors and as well bringing back the old ones. I am very sure that conditions were not incredible, but for those conditions I consider the serial-product that Avni Abazi produced was great achievement. We have seen there that with better conditions, we have potential, great skills for creating Kosova film industry, which is very important for our society. In conclusion this serial is great commencement of Mr Abazi to the world business on film and very successful return of trust that we can rebuild our cinematography.

I've always loved this waterfall place! I've born there. You can see ones just like that and than you will want to visit again, just a couple of miles away from capital city of Kosova. There is also wonderful place called RUGOVA. go there and you will never forget it.

If you have a suggestion, question, or comment, please contact me at avniabazi@hotmail.com

If you would like to have your pictures on my site, let me know!...If you have a suggestion, question, or comment, please contact me at avniabazi@hotmail.com

REVIEWS AND COMMENTS
HOME \| RESUME \| AVNI'S PHOTOS \| REVIEWS \| PAST PROJECTS \| CONTACT AVNI

Some articles written on Avni Abazi *The Courier* November 13. 2002 12:00AM Kosovar filmmaker schools NSUstudents in struggle by Kimberly Krupa THIBODAUX - Avni Abazi did not come to Nicholls State University on Tuesday to share his memories as a young man growing up in war-stricken Kosovo. Instead, he wanted to share stories of survival among the worst kind of ethnic feuding naturally emerged during a discussion of his ambitious films. Abazi is believed to be the only working film producer in Kosovo, a place where peace between Albanian refugees and their hated Serb neighbors for years was considered an anomaly. The discord was perpetuated by the work of President Slobodan Milosevic, the main architect of the integration of Yugoslavia and the bloody Kosovo war in early 1998 that left nearly 3,000 dead. Abazi was in college when the war broke out. He was studying the art of making movies at a time when such pursuits were considered idle and dangerous, when censors and political dictators mandated the tone of literature and film and virtually nothing of quality was released. The Albanian artist from Peja, Kosovo, visited a history class at Nicholls to show an episode from his 15-part television series, "Life in a Land," and to tell students how inspiration for his work comes mostly from the everyday struggles he sees in Kosovo, a land still struggling to get along democratically. "This tells a lot about the democratization of our society," said Abazi, a stage actor who also has produced and directed underground theater performances, including the first street theater show ever produced by Kosovars. In Kosovo, Abazi is reviled. He stars in most of his films and television series and is quickly recognized everywhere he goes in his native country, which only receives three television stations. In "The Trial," the episode from the "Life in a Land" series shown to Nicholls students, Abazi plays an innocent man randomly assaulted by a thug on a dark street corner. The show is not so much about the mugging as the ensuing court battle, which pits a rookie prosecutor against a defense attorney who insists his client is innocent. The judge rules in favor of the defense, and an enterprising television journalist sets out to learn what really happened. At the end of the 30-minute episode, the journalist finds a tape of the mugging that proves who did it -- the original thug accused of the crime. The judge is convicted of fraud and sent to jail. In addition to Kosovo's fledgling court system and the importance of a free press, Abazi's other episodes in the series touch on similarly weighty topics - the white slave trade, prostitution and drug abuse. His are not Hollywood-style works that glamorize life or the people in it. Instead, Abazi makes movies about things that really happen - the works are fiction but the details in them could easily be true. "My intention is for audiences to look at the biggest problems we have in our society," said Abazi. "When I make a film, it is always in connection with politics. I make films with a different goal." Abazi identifies three movements in Kosovo's film history. Between 1968-90, he said Kosovo produced some very good films that were broadcast all over the world. Filmmakers were given artistic freedom and their work blossomed. As Serbia was united again during the revocation of Kosovo's autonomy in 1989, Kosovo films hit an all-time low, what Abazi calls "the dead period." For 10 years, from 1990-2000, Abazi said not a single good film or television series was produced in Kosovo, as Milosevic closed schools and discouraged free thinking. There simply was no money to pay for projects created by Albanian artists. When the war ended with a United Nations peace agreement two years ago, Abazi said Kosovo artists were suddenly let loose, and he quickly won government backing to produce "Life in a Land," the country's first educational drama that focuses on solving social problems. Nearly 200 people worked to produce the lengthy series in which Abazi takes turns playing producer, actor, screenwriter and director. His next projects include the 10-part series "The Freshman," set at a university. He also is planning to branch out with his progressive message of ethnic understanding to other parts of southeastern Europe. Abazi's dream is to broadcast "The Freshman" on European and American television. During his stay in America, Abazi hopes to visit more colleges to screen episodes from "Life in a Land" and test the possibility of an American following. The dozens of students who viewed "The Trial" in a Nicholls classroom Tuesday were only the second American audience to see the Kosovo television show, which Abazi showed to Loyola University students in New Orleans last week. "I want to start building real cinematics in Kosovo," said Abazi. "I want to make very, very meaningful films with a message." Staff writer Kimberly Krupa may be reached at 850-1148 or e-mail kim.krupa@houmatoday.com. Nichols State University
Nichols State University Office of University Relations P.O. Box 2033 Thibodaux, Louisiana 70310 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael J. Delaune or Lydia Boudreaux (985) 448-4143 November 8, 2002 KOSOVAR FILM PRODUCER TO LECTURE AT NICHOLLS STATE THIBODAUX : In a nation torn by ethnic civil war, one refugee’s determination to succeed allowed him to rise above the strife of his homeland and become the only film producer in Kosovo. Avni Abazi, a native of Peja, Kosovo, will share samples of his films and discuss his career as an actor, director and film producer and his life as a refugee and college student in the midst of civil war at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12 in room 250 of Peltier Hall on the Nicholls State University campus. The NSU College of Arts and Sciences is sponsoring the visit by Abazi, who is currently touring the United States with U.S. State Department support. Abazi is a professional actor and television series producer. He studied fine arts and drama at the University of Fine Arts in Tirana in Albania and at the University of Pristina in Kosovo. He also studied for a year at The American University in Bulgaria, where he learned to speak English. While there, contact with fellow students from outside the Balkans helped him to better understand his own culture and its conflicts. Armed with this new knowledge, he helped form the Association of Culture and Art Development in the Balkans, a group whose aim is to break the borders through art and culture in the Balkans by using media, particularly television, to bring people together. Abazi has performed on stage many times in addition to producing and directing underground theater performances and the first street theater ever produced by Kosovars, a production that performed in seven cities in Kosovo. His most recent project, producing the 15-part television series "Life in a Land," has achieved unprecedented success. Abazi notes that in the past, the communist government in Yugoslavia would never provide support for Albanian artists. With "Life in a Land," however, Albazi has won government backing that will result in Kosovo’s first educational drama focusing on democratic government, respect for the rule of law, creating and maintaining civil society and the merits of a free press. In "Life in a Land," Abazi took turns as producer, actor, screenwriter, and director. Nearly 200 people cooperated in making the series, with many of the actors performing in front of the camera for the first time in 15 years. In addition to becoming an increasingly popular television program in Kosovo, "Life in a Land" has received high praise from the U.S. government for its stand on societal reform in promoting multi-ethnic harmony. Abazi is now planning similar civil-society-based programming with the American Office in Kosovo, including the 10-part series titled "The Freshman" set at a university. He is also planning to branch out with his progressive message of interethnic understanding and reconciliation in other parts of southeastern Europe. His dream is to broadcast "The Freshman" on western European and American television
AGJENCIA E LAJMEVE E KOSOVES - KOSOVA NEWS AGENCY PrishtinaÃ‚Â«, 14 August (Kosovapress) One of the newest films of Kosova cinematography is also the series “The life of a land”, which consists of fifteen series. This film portrays the life of Kosova society, in the post war period. For the making of this film the well known director Isa Qosja says “The life of a land” was the first post war experience that in the film meaning fully pays attention to our reality with a connotation of remarks for the opportunities that our society can meet. Young people from the Academy of Dramatic Arts made this visual remark. I consider that dealing with such a series was as much a provocation, as it was a valuable experience for these future professionals”. Kosovapress made an interview with the producer of this film, Avni Abazi. Creating this film was not all about having the idea about it, but a lot more things involved, such as the screenplay, directing, and above all having the means of sponsoring this, and for a young actor such as Avni is, it is a painstaking task that not everybody can handle successfully. Regarding this, he says: “After I put my idea in a project-proposal, I contacted the US Office. The truth is that they liked the project a lot. This lead to the further work, which was the American series “On Common Ground”, which treats the problems with which the American society deals. While cooperating with Greg Kay, the spokesman of Michael McClellan, at the US Office for Public Relations, we came to the conclusion that both series deal with same nature of problems. So, “The life of a land” would be a series about the development of civil society in Kosova with entertaining and educative nuances”. Further on, he tells that the project was realized from “The Association of Culture and Art Development in Balkans ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬“ ACADB” with a donation from US Ofiice in Prishtina. It was also supported by “Mabetex-Tecno Market” Company, Academy of Arts in Prishtina, and with moral support from different institutions. In this quite big project for the cinematography of Kosova, there 14 directors taking part: Agim Sopi, Sunaj Raqa, Emin Halili, Luan Daka, SkÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â«nder Nimani, Jeton Budima, Jeton Ahmetaj, Ismat Sijarina, Burbuqe Berisha, Artur Tahiraj, Tomor Misini, Ekrem Rrahmani, Eol ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Â¡ashku, as well as the director from London SCOTT SANSOM; 9 screenwriters: Jeton Neziraj, Mrika Krasniqi, Astrit Kabashi, Virtyt Kelmendi, Blerta Zeqiraj, Bekim GrajÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â§evci, Zymber Kelmendi, Avni Abazi, Visar Krusha and 104 actors, 35 from whom are for the first time to be acting in front of the camera. The whole staff, including cinematographers, editors, cameramen, and others counts to 200 people. When he was asked why he didn’t work with only one director and a screenwriter, Abazi answers: “These series contain 15 episodes, with 15 different themes. The connection between these episodes is made possible by the characters(persons in the film). In other words, “Jeta e njÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â« toke” series could be taken as e series of short 15-minute movies. The mission of ACADB was created based on this, a mission that has a great value to me and it consists of recruiting Kosova artists and giving them a possibility to show their talents. This means that for the first time, these people had to deal with competition, being aware that from the beginning it was planned that a competetitive Festival should have been held, where best directors, screenwriters and actors would receive awards. Unfortunately, this festival was never held, due to lack of financial means.” With the help of these series, there were a number of directors that passed their exams in Television Directing. These were: Jeton Ahmetaj, Ismet Sijarina, Burbuqe Berisha, Artur Tahiraj and Tomor Misini at professor Emin Halili. “For the first time we witness 90 percent of Kosova’s artists working together in a project. It is the first professional television attempt in Kosova” Abazi explains Avni Abazi has been awarded by the U.S. State Department for his contribution in presenting issues of civil society with cinematography and acting, and also for developing this industry in Kosova..
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY New Orleans A Screening of: Life In a Land Date: Sunday, November 10, 2002 Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm . Location: Bobet 332.....Event Type: Film/Video Presentation Avni Abazi, a native of the former Yugoslavia, is a professional actor-cum-television series producer. He graduated with a degree from the University of Fine Arts in Tirana in 1997, and completed further studies in the Dramatic Arts at the University of Pristina in 2002. He has performed on stage in various parts of the Balkans in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and other works, and has most recently produced a 15-part television series entitled "Life in a Land". This latest effort is Kosovo's first-ever educational drama focusing on democratic government, respect for the rule of law, creating and maintaining civil society and the merits of a free press. The series, in addition to becoming an increasingly popular TV program in Kosovo has received high praise from the U.S. Government for its stand on societal reform. Mr. Abazi's current projects include planning similar civil society-based programming with the American Office in Kosovo -- a university-set series called "The Freshmen" -- and plans to branch out with his progressive message of interethnic understanding and reconciliation in other parts of Southeastern Europe. Mr. Abazi is on a State Department supported tour of the United States. His visit to Loyola is consponsored by the Film Buffs Institute, the Department of Religious Studies, the Phi Beta Kappa Committee and the Biever Lecture series.. The Biever Lecture series is providing funding in support of the screening. Tickets or Fees: This screening and talk is free and open to the public. For additional information contact: Andrew Macdonald at 865-2478 or by email at mdonald@loyno.edu
COMMENTS
Faruk Begolli Actor & Director +381 530 370 It?s very important that in those conditions, in a time referring to it as lethargic, when no Television or any one else produced any thing, the serial ?The Life of a Land? an edu-drama in nature was made, which gave a chance of performing for the first time to many film directors, screenplay writers and actors and as well bringing back the old ones. I am very sure that conditions were not incredible, but for those conditions I consider the serial-product that Avni Abazi produced was great achievement. We have seen there that with better conditions, we have potential, great skills for creating Kosova film industry, which is very important for our society. In conclusion this serial is great commencement of Mr Abazi to the world business on film and very successful return of trust that we can rebuild our cinematography.
I've always loved this waterfall place! I've born there. You can see ones just like that and than you will want to visit again, just a couple of miles away from capital city of Kosova. There is also wonderful place called RUGOVA. go there and you will never forget it.
If you have a suggestion, question, or comment, please contact me at avniabazi@hotmail.com