TIRANA, July 7 /ATA/ – Albanian filmmaker Genc Përmeti returns with his latest feature, Leaving Eden, a post-apocalyptic drama that uses the conventions of genre cinema to explore universal themes including dictatorship, propaganda, inherited hatred and freedom.
Set 60 years after a nuclear apocalypse, the film follows a handful of survivors struggling for food, shelter and survival in a devastated world.
At the centre of the story is Niko, a 10-year-old boy raised by his grandfather, Leksi, to believe that only enemies exist beyond the borders of their isolated community. That worldview begins to unravel with the arrival of Xeni, a young Roma boy who settles in the area with his family. The friendship that develops between the two boys challenges Niko’s deeply ingrained beliefs, highlighting the role of upbringing, fear and propaganda in shaping successive generations.
The film draws on Përmeti’s own experience of growing up under Albania’s communist dictatorship, transforming those memories into a cinematic allegory of how authoritarian regimes cultivate the image of a permanent enemy and sustain the illusion of a “paradise” that must be defended at all costs.
Shot in northern Albania, Leaving Eden combines stark industrial and natural landscapes to create a bleak, symbolic setting, while a score by Italian composer Andrea Guerra adds emotional depth to the narrative.
More than a survival story, the film reflects on historical memory, the enduring consequences of propaganda and the responsibility to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Told largely through the perspective of children, it explores the possibility of breaking cycles of hatred passed from one generation to the next.
The cast includes Agata Buzek, Nikolla Prendi, Kristaq Pilo, Ksawery Szlenkier and Daniel Olbrychski.
Leaving Eden was presented to Italian film critics and media representatives on June 30 at Rome’s historic Cinema Azzurro Scipioni, ahead of its release in Italian cinemas. Following the screening, Përmeti took part in a discussion with the audience alongside acclaimed Italian director Daniele Vicari, who praised the film and discussed its themes, symbolism and directorial approach. Vicari’s participation in the event was widely seen as a significant endorsement of both the production and its director.
/u.sh/
