Albania participates in this production as a co-producer, through the Tirana Film Institute, in the second collaboration with Banana Film and director Milcho Manchevski from North Macedonia.

The film carries the story of a sister and brother with complex and multi-dimensional characters, who face life challenges in a society polarized between the rich and the unprotected.

Some of the protagonists are Sara Klimoska, Filip Trajković, Petar Mirčevski, Sonja Mihajlova, Dejan Lilić.

“Leaving Copacabana” film is a co-production between North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Milcho Manchevski is a well-known name in the field of cinematography. He has won a Golden Lion at Venice and is the first North Macedonian director to be nominated for an Oscar.

Manchevski has collaborated with the Tirana International Film Festival, where his films have been screened. At the Tirana International Film Festival TIFF two years ago, Manchevski presented his film “Kaymak” in Tirana for the premiere. /j.p/p.s./

During the conversation that ATA held with him, we talked quite freely on the truth. Manchevsi sticks to the truth.

“I don’t want to bribe the public and critics. I don’t want to serve up stories that they like, or that I know will get me an audience. Making the audience happy, with a love story with a happy ending, or with themes that appeal to a certain region like the Balkans, is easy. But, this is not the right thing, but the fact that you should be honest with what you want to say and show, he said in the interview for ATA.

The ways of the director, starting from the scripts which are written by him, to the format he uses, are an organic connection of him with art, without thinking about the final product.

To the question of how he measures success and whether it has anything to do with income or evaluations at festivals, Manchevski answers that his vision on this issue is the personal connection he creates with the film. “The film may get a big audience, but when I don’t feel I’m satisfied with it, I don’t call it a success. Just as it can happen that the film touches the heart of even a single person and this gives me satisfaction”, he said for ATA.

Since he is the director who has won a Golden Lion of Venice as well as the first Macedonian director who became a candidate for the Oscar awards, we ask him about his reputation in his homeland. But, from Manchevski’s answers we are reminded that artists are hardly appreciated in their country and for how long they are still alive. This is one of the reasons for which he has already created a second home in New York, a place he considers both difficult and welcoming, open, without prejudices, which keeps you with your feet on the ground but also that lets you create your own art.

“I don’t watch movies,” said Manchevski, when we ask him if he has had the chance to see Albanian movies. “I prefer to read books, but I know some Albanian filmmakers, Agron Dom, with whom I have had and will have co-productions, as well as Florenc Papas.”

At this point, Manchevski tells us about his vision for the masterclass he will hold at TIFF. “It depends on them how much they want to stay with me”, he said and added that his wish would be to answer as many questions as possible about the topic he will present: “Technique and the heart in film directing”, where will be discussed from a practical point of view.

Manchevski returns to Albania after almost 10 years, but even in his physical absence he has collaborated with the Tirana International Film Festival, where his films have been shown. This time, he brings his premiere film “Kaymak”, which opens the TIFF.

As for future projects, director Manchevski has finished writing a new script about the sister-brother bond. Some scenes will be shot in Albania and most in North Macedonia. /p.s./