Director Robert Budina’s “A shelter among the clouds” was awarded the “Global Vision Award” at the annual Cinequest Film Festival (CFF) in California, USA. The CFF is an annual independent film festival founded in 1990.
The Shelter is Budina’s personal take on issues of identity, faith, religion, family, love and coexistence. The small village where the story is situated serves the director as a melting pot of Albania’s past and present.
The plot revolves around Besnik – the Muslim son of a Catholic mother, communist father and Christian Orthodox brother. He is a shepherd in the remote village, where it is revealed that the only mosque where Besnik prays used to be a church. He manages to help his fellow villagers coexist in peace. However, his father’s death changes the atmosphere in the multi-faith family and village and Besnik finds himself coerced to make a decision.
Budina’s second feature movie premiered last November at the Tallin Black Film Festival in the capital of Estonia, followed by its premiere in December in Albania.
His first movie, Agon (Sunrise) dates back to 2012 and was selected as Albania’s entry for the Academy Awards under Best Foreign Language Film. It focused on issues of immigration, discrimination and identity.
