The director of the critically acclaimed film 'Shame and Money', Visar Morina, is back at the Sarajevo Film Festival with his latest work. This film, a biting social drama, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and is now in the main competition at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Morina's previous film, 'Exile', also premiered at Sundance and won the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2020. Both films explore the lives of outsiders, those who are marginalized due to immigration or class status, and the societal divisions that arise as a result.
'Shame and Money' follows a couple, Shaban and Hatixhe, who are struggling to make ends meet in rural Kosovo. When a family dispute leads to a betrayal, they are forced to move to Pristina, where the pressure to provide is immense. The film provides a bleak portrait of Kosovo, a country that has failed to live up to the promises of the post-war order. Morina sees the film as a parable of modern-day Europe, where rising costs of living, housing shortages, and stagnant wages have created a growing rift between the haves and have-nots.
Morina's personal experiences, including his emigration from Kosovo to Germany in the 1990s, have influenced his work. He notes that Germany is heading towards a situation similar to Kosovo, where the rising cost of living and housing shortages are creating widespread pessimism. The film's portrayal of Kosovo is a stark warning about the direction in which society is trending, both in Kosovo and across Europe.
One of the key themes in the film is the rigid taxonomy of contemporary urban life, where a man's value can be calculated down to the last cent. Shaban's job as a night watchman at a gated community is a metaphor for the way in which the poor are kept out of the community. Morina recalls a Kosovan man's phrase, 'When you're broke, even your mom doesn't love you', which he associates strongly with the film.
The film's exploration of the lives of outsiders and the societal divisions that arise as a result is a powerful commentary on the human condition. Morina's work provides a stark warning about the direction in which things are trending, both for our societies and ourselves. The Sarajevo Film Festival runs from August 14th to 21st, and 'Shame and Money' is a must-see for anyone interested in social drama and the human condition.
