Gjama
“Gjama” is a rarely practiced mourning ritual that was performed by Albanian men throughout the centuries. By shouting specific phrases and acting out a strict choreography, it is a way of paying respect to the deceased but also overcoming grief and pain over the loss of a loved one. Through the documentation of the re-enactment of the ritual, Zgjim Elshani seeks to recover fragments of the practice in the communities where this form of collective grieving is still a way of overcoming loss. By doing so, the project intends to rethink collective grieving and what it means to publicly display emotions in a male-headed society.
- Year: 2021
- Country: Albania, Kosovo, Netherlands
- Genre: Documentary
- Studio:
- Keyword: albania, short film, mourning ritual
- Director: Zgjim Elshani
- Cast: Geg Zefi, Gjon Kosteri, Kol Martini, Ndue Fusha, Gjon Fiku, Sokol Kodra
