On 6 December 2023, we premiered the 4K restoration of Red Poppies on the Walls / Lulëkuqet mbi mure by Dhimitër Anagnosti (1976) in a free public event hosted by the Albanian National Film Archive, at the Millennium Cinema in Tirana.
Produced at the height of communism in Albania, the film Red Poppies on the Walls glorifies the communist fight against fascism. Despite any propaganda undertones, Red Poppies on the Walls is a beautiful and popular Albanian movie. Directed by prominent filmmaker Dhimitër Anagnosti, it features some of the finest actors of the time and is complemented by a remarkable cinematography and wonderful original music by celebrated film composer Kujtim Laro.
Red Poppies on the Wall has been digitally restored from the original 35mm negative elements of picture and sound found at AQSHF’s film collections. The digital restoration of Red Poppies on the Wall and its public event were made possible thanks to A Season of Classic Films, an initiative of Association des Cinémathèques Européennes (ACE), with the support of the EU Creative Europe MEDIA Programme. The scanning and digital restoration was performed by DABIMUS srl, (Digitalizazione di Archivi, BIblioteche e MUSei), a spin-off of “Aldo Moro” University based in Bari, Italy. The project was conducted by professor Nicola Barbuti and supervised by AQSHF.
Plot: As all over Albania, the fascist occupation is also felt in a prison-like orphanage in Tirana. The orphanage director forces the young boys to clean anti-fascist slogans written from time to time on walls around the city. The children feel indignant at this forced mobilisation and begin to look with suspicion at every action of the director. They finally rebel against the corrupt school system, the fascist oppression, and constant manipulation.
Director: Dhimitër Anagnosti
Producer: Kinostudio “Shqipëria e re”
Screenplay: Dhimitër Anagnosti, based on the autobiographical novel by Petraq Qafzezi.
Cinematography: Pëllumb Kallfa
Music: Kujtim Laro
Editing: Marika Vila
Art designer: Namik Prizreni
Sound designer: Saliko Hoxha
With: Timo Flloko, Agim Qirjaqi, Kadri Roshi, Strazimir Zaimi, Enea Zheku, Krenar Arifi, Artur Haxholli, Alfred Kote, Liza Laska, Anastas Kristofori, Luan Qerimi, Enver Dauti, Pavlina Mani.
Film copy screened during A Season of Classic Films: world premiere restoration.
4K, DCP, 100’, Albanian.
Subtitles: English, Italian
Copyright: AQSHF for the restored version.
To programme this film: please contact Ms. Eriona Vyshka, [email protected]
