Dashnor Kaloçi
Part six
Memorie.al publishes some archival documents issued by the Central State Archive in Tirana (fund of the former Central Committee of the ALP), which contains a record of the meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee held on May 25, 1978 , on the topic: “On a situation and on some problems that arise to increase the ideo-artistic level of professional theater and variety shows”, which was directed by Enver Hoxha, assisted by Ramiz Alia, secretary of the Central Committee covering propaganda , art and culture, Pilo Persiteri, candidate of the Politburo and Director of the Tractor Factory, “Enver Hoxha”, Deputy Minister of Education and Culture, Anastas Kondo and President of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania, Dritëro Agolli. The full minutes of that meeting led by Enver Hoxha, where the famous actor and director of the Albanian theater and cinematography, Pirro Manit, the well-known actress of the National Theater, Violeta Manushi, the professional pop actor were also invited and participated. of the city of Shkodra, Tano Banushi, etc.
“Our theater has a great experience in collaboration with actors – playwrights. Whenever this work was done well, there was a harmony between the author and the theater director, always the results were positive. From this warm cooperation, concrete and not in general, we have left or will remain many dignified works in its golden fund of our scene, starting from the first works such as “Our Land”, “Family of fisherman ”,“ Cuca e maleve ”, etc. I mentioned some of these works which are quite serious. This cooperation, especially recently, has become even stronger, more concrete. In our theater we have a lot of staff who do not work in the theater, but deal with writing and are writers. They not only help us with their works, but they also come to the theater, got acquainted with the process of staging, get acquainted with the laws of the stage, which is more than necessary for the author. We have trusted our young people with courage, we have stayed very close to the whole team, the organization, we old directors and there have really been results. For example, Dhimitër Pecani, not only successfully debuted on our stage, but he also went to Fier where he gave a beautiful play for the theater of Fier. In addition, there are a large number of television directors, such as Albert Minga who has emerged from the bosom of television, the People’s Theater, as well as Vladimir Prifti and Agim Qirjaqi. So we have to trust the “conductor’s stick” of the director, the young boys to come forward and show talents, because our people are very talented”
This is what the well-known theater director Pirro Mani said in his discussion, in one of the meetings of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the ALP held on May 25, 1978, which was chaired by Enver Hoxha, where they participated also Ramiz Alia, Pilo Peristeri, Anastas Kondo and Dritëro Agolli. In that meeting with the topic: “On a situation and on some problems that arise to increase the ideo-artistic level of the creativity of theater and professional variety”, in addition to Pirro Mani, participated the well-known actress of the People’s Theater, Violeta Manushi of the professional stage of the city of Shkodra, Tano Banushi, etc.
For more than what was talked and discussed in that meeting by Enver Hoxha, Ramiz Alia, Anastas Kondo and Dritëro Agolli, as well as by the guests: Pirro Mani, Violeta Manushi and Tano Banushi, the archival document in question introduces us to the minutes of that meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the ALP, which Memorie.al publishes for the first time and in full in some issues of the dossier section.
Continued from the previous issue
Minutes of the meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the ALP, May 25, 1978
“ON THE SITUATION AND ON SOME PROBLEMS THAT ARISE FOR THE INCREASE OF THE IDEOARTISTIC LEVEL OF THE PROFESSIONAL THEATER AND POISON CREATIVITY”
COMRADE ENVER HOXHA: The development of performing arts in our country is one of the immortal works of the Party; we must take this development further, even further. On the other hand, I find the criticisms formulated in the report signed by the Minister of Education and Culture, Tefta Cami, as well as in the material of comrade Dritëro Agolli.
Real recognition of the shortcomings and shortcomings in this area, as in any other sector, is a good and very encouraging sign that helps to improve the situation. It is difficult for me to address these shortcomings, which are to varying degrees, even in general, as the comrades in the report did. Improvements are needed, because fellow authors of these genres and performers of our stage or cinematography, think that they have somewhere to learn and precisely from their colleagues.
Where many issues of our dramaturgy are put very right, but also from the point of view of scenography people can learn satisfactorily and you said here and you acted, you did not wait, so I say you did very well. In other words, we have both good and bad sides, but in this field the positive dominates, in my opinion, our socialist art grows, along with it our artists grow. There is an increase in talents, there is an affirmation of playwrights, but we must work to expand their circle and help it expand. Opportunities must be created for this purpose and today we have a place to lay our hands.
Therefore, I am not at all pessimistic about this development. As far as I can see, in this host of girls, boys, pioneers, amateurs I speak and I am not talking about professional artists and writers who are talented cadres, we can prepare more films, give performances, give concerts that are and should be to be even in the future world-class. I try very hard to maintain the true measure, when I claim for something, but when it is said that the Party has done a miracle in the development of our arts, in all ages, in all genres, I say this with full conviction and does not move from this opinion that I have, even if they shoot me with a cannon, as Dritëro Agolli says in the novel “The man with the cannon”, which was shot in the film, which I also liked very much.
All our people live happily, work and big and small with us, at the same time they sing, dance, play a musical instrument, play theater, play pop, etc. Of course we have to fight for qualities, but also for quantity, because this then allows us to choose talents. We need to be particularly interested in young talents, not forgetting this. The party and its leadership have emphasized and continue to emphasize this message, for every sector, where in the elderly of every profession to push the young forward, to help them get the baton. You also said very nicely when you discussed this issue and you acted very rightly, so keep going, so keep getting young.
This is not an organic issue, it takes one or two or three people. The point is to fight against bureaucracy, against the inappropriate addition of staff, which the Party cares about. However, there are cases when we make concessions in this regard. Then why not make concessions to some directors or others when they are needed? We can and will make savings elsewhere, where we have given up and the money is wasted, but not where it should be.
We have also opened schools, so to perfect them, to expand them. Comrade Dritëro Agolli, took as an example the Metallurgical Plant of Elbasan, for which he made several approximate accounts. In this city we now have a theater, but there a whole city is being built with tens of thousands of people, except the one that is. Then is there enough for the existing theater with the collective one that it has, is that variety show enough with that staff and other problems in a row? Therefore, as everywhere in this regard, we must move with the times, with the new needs that arise.
Here, even in the economy, before we had some corn depots, now the government has taken and is taking measures, has also given funds to build other depots. This is a necessary measure dictated by the new conditions, why the yields of wheat and corn are rising, so the existing warehouses are not enough. This need requires new investments. What about the sectors related to the education and entertainment of our employees?
Job centers are increasing in our country, the number of people is increasing, but they want culture, they need schools, they want theater and entertainment, they want to have fun, to relax and be educated by these theaters, by these “professors”, such as artists, directors, authors of plays, comedies, sketches, librettos, musical pieces, etc. Therefore we must walk frontally and not forget some directions that are just as important as others. We constantly need to clear the mists of that past from the heads of our people.
Theater or Estrada is the work of “harlequin”, they said in the past. But the party does not think so, because the issue is completely different. Therefore, to give them importance, as we have always given importance to them, but the job is to give them the right importance and not to go with the thought that we should prepare three pianists in the High School of Music, for example, why do we have so much need to fill vacancies in schools or art institutions.
Let’s look at the issues in more detail. All great talents will not be made, but art is a need, collective and personal, as it is like a much-needed food for the lives of our people, so we need to look more broadly at issues related to the development of the growing needs of the country.
The party has not misunderstood the issue when it says to humble ourselves, to drink and grow with the popular fountain, to increase amateurism, to add musical instruments, to preserve like the eyes of the forehead the treasure of the nation and to develop it further. Look what has been done! Spectators and people not only in our country, but also in other countries, such as France, Greece, Turkey, the Nordic countries, have applauded our ensembles. Wherever they go, people in the world are amazed, happy and at the same time added to their love and respect for our national socialist culture, which they did not know until today.
Our sisters and brothers in Kosovo are excited, crying and longing when they hear and see in their scenes our artists living in the free socialist homeland. Therefore, I have full and unwavering conviction that the art of our socialist country will constantly shine, will raise our socialist culture more and more, and will be one of the tools that our homeland, the efforts of the Albanian people, its wisdom, his subtle feelings and his dignity will make them even more recognizable to world opinion.
These churches to say comrades, and please, on my behalf, greet all the art workers of our country, whom I thank on behalf of the Party for the great work they do and for what they will do afterwards. I am fully convinced that as always, they will be at the forefront of the struggle for the full construction of socialism. Memorie.al
(That closes the meeting)
CHIEF OF THE GENERAL SECTOR OF K.Q. TO ALP
Pandi Dini
