Pesë Stinët e Fëmijërisë Sime – Besim Ugzmajli

Nostalgia is no longer my beloved. It blinds many, but Besim Ugzmajli has built a heartfelt conceptualization of his own nostalgia in less than 14 minutes.

Unlike the usual metaphor, where childhood is seen as spring and old age as winter, Ugzmajli places childhood as the owner of all four seasons, while attributing the fifth season to adulthood—the season of fire that burns everything, even memories, in the name of greed for profit. Rivers dry up and water is trapped in the pipes of private hydropower plants, forests are burned to clear land for villas, meadows turn into parking lots for cars and motorcycles, village homes are abandoned, and people flock to ugly urban apartments where they live with their eyes glued to their phones.

Schools where knowledge was first acquired, the first chills of youth were felt, and first loves blossomed are burned down in the hope that new buildings will rise in their place. The only ones untouched by greed seem to be the dogs and the crows. And how can there be space for a happy ending in such a society, one devoid of community? When memories are murdered so mercilessly, solidarity and identity die along with them.

Fortunately, after the film’s conclusion, the burned school was rebuilt, preserving its architectural and historical values, and today it serves as an arts school. However, it’s better that this fact isn’t reflected in the film, as it would create a false sense of happiness. While some things are being saved and some people are truly committed to preservation, the truth is that in our society—as in many others—the greed for money keeps many ready with a match in hand, poised to set fire to memories, history, nature, community, solidarity, and humanity. A bitter wind is blowing, and our memories, as well as our society and culture, are far from being saved forever…

The weaving of camera techniques with animation and a fairy-tale lyricism that steers clear of didacticism makes The Five Seasons of Ugzmajli a sweet film, one that could spark warmth even in the cold cinema halls of this part of the world—if only they weren’t busy screening fast-food films.