Gjama

“Gjama” is a rarely practiced mourning ritual that was performed by Albanian men throughout the centuries. By shouting specific phrases and acting out a strict choreography, it is a way of paying respect to the deceased but also overcoming grief and pain over the loss of a loved one. Through the documentation of the re-enactment of the ritual, Zgjim Elshani seeks to recover fragments of the practice in the communities where this form of collective grieving is still a way of overcoming loss. By doing so, the project intends to rethink collective grieving and what it means to publicly display emotions in a male-headed society.

Country:

Albania,

Kosovo,

Netherlands

Genre:

Documentary

Duration:

9 minutes

Year:

2021

Director:

Zgjim Elshani

Cast:

Themself

Themself

Themself

Themself

Themself

Crew:

Director

Cinematography

Camera Operator

Assistant Camera

Editor