Book Promotion: Lumbardhi – An Episodic History

Built in 1952 in Prizren, Lumbardhi / Bistrica Cinema has been on the agenda of demolition for various purposes for over 50 years, is now on the cultural heritage list and is awaiting its restoration. Through a narrative based on newspaper archives, the cinema’s archive, and oral testimonies, “Lumbardhi – An Episodic History” takes an intermittent look into the past through this movie theater and cinema culture and how it interacted with the city and its society.

The executive director of Lumbardhi Foundation Ares Shporta, and the authors of the book, Bengi Muzbeg and Tevfik Rada will be present at the book launch.

After the book launch, the program will continue with the screening of 2 short documentary films.

Prizreni – City of Beauty and Resources – Zvonimir Saksida, 18 min. 1972

117 – Besim Sahatciu 16 min. 1976 – 117 (Short 1976) – IMDb

Bengi Muzbeg completed his Ph.D. in Film Studies at Istanbul Marmara University and works at the Lumbardhi Foundation based in Prizren. Muzbeg specializes in ideology, representation, discourse, and narrative in cinema, and has contributed to various journals and books with his analyses. He curates the film program of the Lumbardhi Foundation and manages the archive and digitization activities of the foundation.

Tevfik Rada is a researcher and sociologist based in Prizren. He studied architecture and sociology in Istanbul. Tevfik is a founding member of Pykë-Presje from Prizren. He has written texts and edited books on the history of socialism in Kosovo and Macedonia.

This event has been organized in partnership with the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s Office in Belgrade.