The cultural gathering “October of Besim Sahatçiu” begins at AAB College in honor of the work of director Besim Sahatçiu.
Family members of Besim Sahatçiu, well-known personalities of art and cinema in Kosovo, and also students took part in the first-day activities of this event. The event opened with a photo exhibition called “Besim Sahatçiu–life and its works”, the inauguration of the Student Club of the Faculty of Mass Communication, and the screening of the documentary “117”, directed by Sahatçiu in 1976.
During the opening of this event, the chairman of the Steering Council of AAB College, Lulzim Tafa, said that Besim Sahatçiu remains an extraordinary personality of Albanian culture. “Director Besim Sahatçiu remains one of the greatest directors in Kosovar cinematography, and AAB College, which has become the largest center for not only education but also art and culture, will always have a place to honor such outstanding personalities.”
“We have christened this gathering “October of Besim Sahatçiu “, because both the date of birth and the date of passing of the brilliant director belong to October, therefore this month will be the month of Besim in AAB College”, added Tafa.
During the inauguration ceremony of the Student Cinema Club of the Faculty of Mass Communication “Besim Sahatçiu”, the rector of AAB College, Bujar Demjaha, said that we have the honor of renaming our cinema club after Besim Sahatçiu. “I am convinced that with the renewal of this movie club with the great director’s name, the new generations, students of AAB College, will also be motivated and reinvigorated to reach for new heights keeping his legacy alive,” said Demjaha.
The unveiling of the Kinkolubi plaque was done by the rector Bujar Demjaha together with the wife of the director, Besim Sahatçiu, Mrs. Besa, who was very emotional when thanking AAB College for honoring her husband’s name.
In the framework of today’s activities of the Cinema Club “Besim Sahatçiu”, the documentary film “117” was screened. On this occasion, the director Burbuqe Berisha, vice dean at the Faculty of Mass Communication, said that Besim Sahatçiu is one of the most cult-followed directors of Kosovo, he is the first educated director from Kosovo who, through his films, has spoken loudly and proudly when others did not dare to speak. “The idea behind 117 is a brilliant one, which has yet to be surpassed by any of its peers. The reason for its genius is that it has depicted, uniquely, the 24 hours of an Albanian family that has functioned akin to a state, with all its departments,” said Berisha.
Let us also remember that, through this film, director Sahatçiu had won the “Grand Prix” Award as one of the first cinematographic awards in Kosovo in the 70s.
