Hysen Hakani, director, one of the pioneers of Albanian art film, was born in Berat. In 1951, he graduated from the artistic lyceum “Jordan Misja” in the drama branch and was sent to the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, to the “FAMU” faculty for film direction. He was appointed to the Cinemma Studio “Shqiperia e Re” (“New Albania“) at the beginning of 1958. In the first two years of his work as a director, he was involved in the production of documentary and documentary films. In 1961, he made the full-length film “Debatik“. It is the film that paved the way for true professionalism in the production of Albanian feature films, the first film shot by a staff of highly educated professional creators, who later became among the most popular in Albanian cinema. In 1985, in the retrospective of the Albanian film at the 15th International Festival of Children’s Films in Salerno (Italy) “Debatik” was awarded with a special Plaque by the Rotary Club. After 1984, for several years he worked at the Filmarchive, in the sector of the enrichment of the archival fund. He was decorated with work orders and the “Naim Frashëri” order, while in 2002, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the creation of Cinema Studio, he was honored by the President of the Republic with the high title “Grand Master”. (In the photo: Hysen Hakani)
Text: Kristaq Dhamo
Photo: © https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/z13v3jkt
Graphic processing: AHCF
