The day after a wife murdered her husband, the incident is discussed in a beauty salon where a soon to be wife is in a rush to get ready for her wedding.

Interview with Writer/Director Zgjim Terziqi

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

It's the only thing I know how to do, and I'm not yet sure I still know how to do it. If there is a story that intrigues me, that I find myself thinking about and I would love to watch it, if nobody else is doing it then I have to.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

It's pretty fun, but also sad. It's a 13 minute rollercoaster of emotions. Then there is the rashomonesque angle to the concept of truth, which in the age of social media perpetuating fake news is undeniably relevant.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The story in itself is pretty naive in its approach and scale, yet very reliable and empathetic to the audience. A Sunday afternoon in a hair salon in Kosovo where a murder is discussed. The characters and the acting nonchalantly add the je ne sais quoi that makes it appealing to a global audience.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Pretty little. I usually shoot what I write, and maybe only lose 3-4% of it during the shoot, and maybe 2-3% during the editing.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The film was only an idea in October 2018, and now we are having our premiere in a week, in August, at Rhode Island International Film Festival. We just finished color grading a day ago and already have six film festival invitations. So we think it's going pretty well. Oh yeah. Did I mention we started all this without anyone backing us financially only me and my producer, Valmira Hyseni, putting our own money in?

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

What makes me pretty happy and proud is when we show it to someone and they laugh at the jokes. I love that and I live for that.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I hope your readers will be intrigued by our story and film and would want to watch it. I'm happy to reply to people who show interest in our little film.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I'm hoping to be surprised and learn and be impacted myself by the impact and reception of the US audience.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

The alternative truth question.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I just received a development fund for my first feature film called 2000: a post-war odyssey, which tells the story of a small Irish circus that travels to my small country, Kosovo, just months after the last Balkan War ended, so they can entertain the children there.

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

Salon

The day after a wife murdered her husband, the incident is discussed in a beauty salon where a soon to be wife is in a rush to get ready for her wedding.

Length: 13:47

Director: Zgjim Terziqi

Producer: Valmira Hyseni

Writer: Zgjim Terziqi

About the writer, director and producer:

Born in 1990 in Mitrovica, when ZGJIM TERZIGI was 8 years old, he and his family had to flee Kosovo, because their house was burned down during the war. After the war, they didn't have anywhere to go. His mother and father, a plastic surgeon and an electrical engineer, would work day and night to raise the necessary funds for a new home, which they eventually did. Holding a BA and MA from the University of Prishtina in Film and TV directing, Zgjim is also a prolific screenwriter. Having written five TV shows, tens of TV ads and screenplays. He also writes film reviews for different online platforms including the prominent "Taste of Cinema". Besides filmmaking, his other passion is teaching, Zgjim teaches Film and Drama in the American School of Kosova. His debut short A Month (2017), traveled to over 50 film festivals including Cairo IFF, Atlanta FF, Brussels SFF, Busan ISFF, New Directors / New Films, TIFF, Hollyshorts etc. He has won 10 awards at festivals around the world.

VALMIRA HYSENI is producer/director/writer from Kosovo. She has worked in tens of feature and short films and a producer, line producer, executive producer that went on to compete at various film festivals like San Sebastian International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights, Busan IFF etc.

Key cast: Armond Morina, Irena Cahani, May-linda Kosumovic, Xhejlane Terbunja, Anisa Ismajli, Njomeza Fetiu

Looking for: sales agents, film festival directors, distributors

Facebook: Salon

Other: IMDb