"The Delegation" is a drama film from Albania, released in 2018 and directed by Bujar Alimani. The movie's writer, Artan Minarolli, sadly passed away before the film even started being made. Albania chose it to be their official entry for the Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, but it didn't get nominated for the big prize.
The story takes us back to October 1990, in Albania. A special group of European visitors arrives in Tirana, the capital city, for an important reason. They are there to see if Albania is ready to join a major European organization that promotes peace and cooperation. To try and impress them, Albania's communist government, which was having a tough time, planned to release a political prisoner. This move was meant to boost their chances of joining the organization. However, things don't go according to plan, leading to unexpected and dramatic events. The film was a team effort, made by companies from Albania, France, Greece, and Kosovo. It first premiered in Albania in December 2018 and later in other countries like Greece and France. Actor Xhevdet Ferri received praise for his performance in the movie. Interestingly, this was the third time a film directed by Bujar Alimani had been submitted by Albania for the Academy Awards.
