Rhode Island International Film Festival / DOKUFEST 2019 – Rruga (The Path)
After midnight, Lena (37) scared and fleeing, meets Genti (11) in an underpass at the center of the city. After they get to know each other, they talk about the reasons for them being there. Lena claims she is waiting for her husband to pick her up, while Genti is waiting for his father. Afterwards, the conversation shifts to their respective head wounds. Genti says his injury was an accident caused by his father, while Lena’s was an accident caused by her husband during their vacation in Venice. Two policemen arrive interfering their conversation asking them for a blonde woman who should have crossed through the underpass. While examining Lena’s ID, the policemen find out she is not called Lena but Besa. After the police leave, Genti also admits his real name isn’t Genti but Drini. During this time a big car stops near them. They both enter the car. There we learn they both are working for this human trafficker who collects their daily earnings. He tells them they look alike, and could pass as mother and son.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Besim Ugzmajli
Watch Rruga (The Path) here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! I love telling stories, and in my opinion, making films is one of the best ways to do that. I always tried to articulate my concerns by making films, and this film is absolutely one of my biggest concerns of noways societies all around the world. So that's why I made this film, to share my stories as a way to seek help for the people who are submitted modern slavery.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Dialogues are interesting, but the most interesting part of this film are the times when nobody talks, the time when it looks like nothing is happening, but you can feel that something is happening there. Someone is hiding an ugly truth, the kind of truth which terrifies us.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We are living in the time that "modern slavery" is always somewhere around us, and these issues are pretty much similar all around the world. So I think the story on our film Rruga (The Path) will find an easy way to communicate with all audiences around the world.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Many times I have heard stories on human trafficking, but I wasn't ready to write something on this topic for a long time. The first idea I had was like a question that I must find the answers, anyhow. The question was "How the people who are trafficking can hide for a long time their "job"?", and "what are their dreams of an alternative life?". So this is all I put in this film in two months researching and writing.
The story changed a lot in two first drafts, but sometimes you just stuck badly in something you truly believe. I stacked in dialogues which sounds like the story is happening in the play or theatre, and I decided to film as it is now.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback is pretty good until now. But sure, people always want to think and talk on alternative endings in the movies, so some of the endings proposed to me were interesting, but I'm still very happy with my choice.
Rruga (The Path) made people think if they have any friends or relatives who can be a victim of human trafficking, so this makes me feel that I have achieved something important with this film.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Surprised? Hmm, not really, but my curiosity is there to hear and talk with people on my work, they improve us in many ways.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Facing people with the subject of my film, creating conversations on the "modern slavery" would be my biggest achievement. Hope it would happen.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Now we are submitting to Festivals, and I hope this film is just one new door opened for the new films I'm working on. This industry is pretty much pending on meeting new people to collaborate as much as you can, so who knows. I really believe in passion and hardworking. So I'm always hungry and ready for a new journey, a new film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
There is no easy way to get what you think you will with the film. I do movies to make people think, make people reflect and react to the story I show. So I would be very happy to have that impact that makes the audience discuss these topics in the film. I think concerns we have as a society, first, we have to make them big and public, then face them bravely, then we can have a solution in the end. I hope we will contribute a bit to this.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
The people probably would ask "Do we really know people around us?", "Are we doing our best in fighting human trafficking" and the best question that I would love to have is "Are movies one of the best ways to show some truths in explicit and artistic mode?"
Would you like to add anything else?
I hope people would like the film, and thank you very much for this interview. :)
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently writing my new short, and also I just finished a treatment for my very first feature film.
Interview: August 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Rruga (The Path)
After midnight, Lena (37) scared and fleeing, meets Genti (11) in an underpass at the center of the city. After they get to know each other, they talk about the reasons for them being there. Lena claims she is waiting for her husband to pick her up, while Genti is waiting for his father. Afterwards, the conversation shifts to their respective head wounds. Genti says his injury was an accident caused by his father, while Lena’s was an accident caused by her husband during their vacation in Venice. Two policemen arrive interfering their conversation asking them for a blonde woman who should have crossed through the underpass. While examining Lena’s ID, the policemen find out she is not called Lena but Besa. After the police leave, Genti also admits his real name isn’t Genti but Drini. During this time a big car stops near them. They both enter the car. There we learn they both are working for this human trafficker who collects their daily earnings. He tells them they look alike, and could pass as mother and son.
Length: 14:14
Director: Besim Ugzmajli
Producer: Besim Ugzmajli
Writer: Besim Ugzmajli
About the writer, director and producer:
BESIM UGZMAJLI was born in 1986 in Ferizaj, Republic of Kosovo. He studied at the University of Prishtina, Faculty of Arts – Film and Tv Directing. He lived in Ferizaj and Prishtina. His award-winning films include Obssesion, Era, The Eaters, Woman in Black, Who is next, Beyond the Gates and Forgive me.
Key cast: Gresa Pallaska(Lena and Besa), Mal Noah Safqiu (Genti and Drini), Mevlan Saraçi (boss), Milot Salihu (first cop), Sherif Bega (sekond cop)
Looking for: sales agents, film festival directors, buyers, distributors
Facebook: Besim Ugzmajli
Twitter: @BesimUgzmajli
Instagram: @besim.ugzmajli
Hashtags used: #thepathfilm
Other: IMDb
Funders: self-funded, Caritas Kosova
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Edmonton Intentional Film Festival, Edmonton- Canada October