Mario Ashiku, director, actor, professor, was born in Shkodër. As a student, in 1959, he performed the main role, that of Arben, in the joint Russian-Albanian film “Furtuna“, directed by J. Ozerov, K. Dhamo. Grace and physical beauty, along with other acting talents, made him sought after by stage and screen directors. After finishing his university studies, he worked as an actor in the People’s Theater, where he performed some impressive roles. He has performed 13 roles in cinematography. After working for several years at the High Institute of Arts as a teacher of acting skills, under the famous director and teacher Kujtim Spahivogli, he was arbitrarily transferred to the Pogradec State Variety Show, where he worked until 1986; then he went to the “Aleksandër Moisiu” theater in Durrës, until 1990. In both troupes he staged many variety shows, as well as drama and comedy. In the artistic individuality of Mario Ashiku as a director, one notices the desire for modest human behavior and appearance, probably as vital as possible, almost natural, where the element of spontaneous involvement of the actor in the circumstances of the artistic figure appears as the primary goal, thanks to perseverance for an adaptation, listening and seeing acting as close to life as possible actions. In 1992, Mario Ashiku resumed work as a teacher of “Acting Mastery” at the Academy of Arts. He stands out for his culture, high pedagogical requirements, artistic finesse and professional ethics . (In the photo: Mario Ashiku during the shooting of the film “Our Land”, 1964.)
Text: Josif Papagjoni
Photo: © https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/z1cc572s
Graphic processing: AHCF
