Artistic Duty through War and Memory and from Battlefield Stages to Poetic Pages
Interview with the Kosovar Director, Publisher and Writer Dibran Fylli
By Angela Kosta
What drives you to move from stage to directing, and also from directing to poetry, and how are these two worlds connected for you?
Direction is a profession; the stage, for me and for every artist, is the sacred space where the characters of the artistic “game” come to life, while poetry is a passion that, as poetic creativity, is closely tied to my profession. Writing poetry, for me, means creating or developing an event even more than a drama or a screenplay does; therefore, above all, and primarily, it is literature.
In what way has your experience as an actor influenced the way you build characters in your writing?
As I mentioned above, a character is built well and successfully only when their character is clearly described and detailed; then it can be said that half the work is done and the actor is left with the performance. Only in this way is a character fully realized, whether in prose, novels, poetry, drama, or even film.
What is the role of historical memory, and how much does it influence your inspiration in your poetic production?
To be honest, our history as a people who have suffered greatly has left traces in the memory not only of mine but of every other writer; that is why we write, remembering the suffering, the hardships, the sacrifices, and the renunciations of many generations for freedom and independence. However, what plays an important role in my historical memory is the war of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), in which I was also a member, and the titanic resistance of the martyr commander Adem Jashari, whom during the war I called “He is Alive.” Even today and forever, who can say otherwise—that he is not alive? This is and will remain my most important work, both literary and artistic, a work that will endure over time, as long as the Albanian language and word exist.
As promoter and publisher of the magazine ORFEU, what criteria do you use to select new voices, and how difficult is it to maintain quality in modern times?
This is a kind of sacrifice, because maintaining strict criteria and selecting new voices—publishing texts with literary, cultural, and artistic value, while at the same time preserving quality in modern times—is very difficult. Today’s poetry, even contemporary poetry—not to criticize or reject it—but in most cases is written without leaving a message, as if it were meant to be implied; however, in reality it remains suspended, incomprehensible, without metaphor, without a clear message. It is true that poetry is also read between the lines, but this only happens when the verses are composed according to literary poetics and aesthetics.
What motivated you to address such a delicate and powerful theme as the legendary figure of Adem Jashari in your book?
The book “He is Alive” is a chronology that reflects the war, sacrifice, and successful leadership of the immortal Commander Adem Jashari, up until his death at the beginning of March 1998, considering that even after his death the war continued in his spirit until the liberation of Kosovo. During the war, precisely on its first anniversary, on March 6, 1999, I created a screenplay and another theatrical performance entitled “He is Alive,” staging it in difficult circumstances, under wartime conditions, amid Serbian offensives, in front of thousands of citizens who remained in the combat zones and in front of many Kosovo soldiers, leaving a strong impression, also artistically, that the commander was still alive. After the end of the war, I also produced the chronological book with the same title, inspired by the performance. With the help of the multidimensional promoter Angela Kosta, this book has been translated into 16 languages: Albanian, English, German, French, Italian, Turkish, Croatian, Slovenian, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, Polish, Punjabi, Assamese, and Korean; furthermore, in most of these countries it has also been published and distributed through social networks, platforms, magazines, and well-known newspapers.
How did you experience the process of translating your work into 16 languages? Do you think the message retains the same weight across different cultures?
For me and for our culture, this is an extraordinary experience, because it demonstrates not only the culture of writing, but also preserves an irreplaceable historical memory of our liberation war, identifying it with a unique case in the world: the fall of 59 members of Commander Jashari’s family for freedom and independence.
As for the message and its weight in different cultures, I would like to quote some lines from the review by Yang Geum-Hee, lecturer, publisher, translator, and vice president of the Association of Korean Writers:
“With great pleasure I present to Korean readers ‘Prekazi, Generations of the Brave – He is Alive (chronology)’, a biography of the heroes of Kosovo’s independence who fought and fell for freedom. Kosovo, located on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, is a country largely unknown to Korean readers. This lack of awareness is reinforced by the fact that Korea and Kosovo have not yet established official diplomatic relations. However, if we look for similarities between the two nations, Korea also achieved independence through the sacrifices and efforts of independence fighters during the Japanese colonial period. Furthermore, Korea experienced the tragedy of civil war during the Korean War, which left indelible wounds on the nation. Considering Korea’s own history of struggles for independence, I believe Korean readers will deeply understand the story of Kosovo’s independence heroes and their fight for freedom.”
In the films you create, are there direct elements that come from your poetry or literary writings?
Yes, and there are quite a few. If we take some concrete examples, I can mention the poem “The Persistence of a Child,” in which a boy asks by all possible means for an emblem of the KLA from Kosovo soldiers. I developed it into a story, turning it into a screenplay for a short film titled “The Child and the War.” Then, from the poem “Fires and Destructions,” I created the screenplay for an artistic film titled “Arbëri’s Alphabet” (Arbëri is a child who leaves his homework unfinished because he and his family are forced to leave their home to flee from Serbian forces; when they return, they find the house destroyed and the notebook with the alphabet partially burned). There are many other stories that I have transformed into film screenplays, which I try to bring to life, despite insufficient financial conditions.
How do you see the role of art and literature in reflecting and documenting the suffering of an entire people?
Art has an important role in reflecting and documenting the pain of a people, especially when this is represented correctly, without deception, but exactly as it was, as the events unfolded, also through the production of documentary films and their broadcast on television. So, I say this without hesitation: I am the only director who, since the post-war period, has made more than 40 documentary films on the above-mentioned theme, all archived at Radio Television of Kosovo and beyond.
I believe I have fulfilled my duty to my profession, using in each documentary the phrase: “Not to pass the time, but not to forget our recent past, difficult and full of sacrifices.”
What challenges does a writer face when dealing with historical and political themes in a contemporary context?
I think this question does not require many comments! If we are talking about historical themes, the first challenge is that there is very little institutional support, if any at all, because it almost seems as if there is a desire to forget what happened in Kosovo. As for political themes, for true artists they are practically inaccessible, because if you do not write according to the will of political parties, not only do you receive no support, but you are also ignored, labeled undesirable by the government, or even worse: against it! What I have said may not please some, but it is the reality of our time—an endless time.
In this wide range of roles that you hold, where do you feel most free to express your truth?
I always feel more free when my heart is inhabited by the role or character connected to the history of my deeply tormented people, and also in roles or characters with themes of love, but always within the limits of human dignity.
How does moral responsibility toward history and national figures influence your creative process?
I pay particular attention when, in my literary or artistic production, I represent the history of national figures, because there I feel not only a moral responsibility, but also a national one; therefore, I try to be very cautious.
What message would you like to convey to the new generation through your artistic and literary works?
First of all, I wish and appeal for today’s young people to read as many books as possible, and not limit themselves only to social networks, because most of them exist for views and for the interests of their owners, whereas literary and artistic works by any author contain at least one message and an invitation to good rather than evil—even if in some cases they also represent evil, but by criticizing it in different forms. As for my artistic and literary works, I say: read them, because there you will find understandable messages, and only then will you truly know me.
How do you balance artistic sensitivity with the need to be direct when addressing painful historical themes?
Artistic sensitivity is a necessity for every artist. Understanding a work or dealing with painful historical themes is, I would say, history itself; therefore every film scene or theatrical scene must have artistic sensitivity, just like every literary creation.
What was the most difficult moment of your creative journey and how did it influence your development as an artist?
First of all, I attended the Academy of Arts not in my mother tongue, and this was my greatest challenge… later I faced almost continuous challenges, fear and challenge together, when during the war I staged performances, even founding a military theatre as well as many other initiatives. But all this had a positive impact and strengthened my conviction in forming my character as an artist and a rebellious creator, who has never worked to please others by violating my principles and my oath to authentic art.
If you had to describe your artistic mission in a single sentence, what would it be?
My artistic identity is what it is!
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Angela Kosta is the Executive Director of the Magazines: MIRIADE, NUANCES ON THE PANORAMIC CANVAS, BRIDGES OF LITERATURE, journalist, poet, essayist, publisher, literary critic, editor, translator, promoter
