A Film in Albanian Sparks Nationalist Backlash in Montenegro

 It took just one film in the Albanian language to ignite a nationalist uproar in Montenegro. The interruption of Isa Qosja’s movie “Lejleku” (The Stork) during the “Xhad” Film Festival in Podgorica has stirred debate well beyond the cultural sphere. For many, it is not an isolated incident but proof that nationalist sentiments—historically fueled by Serbia—continue to find space in Montenegrin society.

Cover of the movie "Stork"

The incident occurred Wednesday evening, when a group of unknown individuals disrupted the screening, shouting nationalist slogans and issuing threats, reportedly outraged that the film was in Albanian. The disruption comes despite the fact that Albanian is an official language in Montenegro and that Albanians form an integral part of its social fabric. Critics have called it a glaring paradox between the protections enshrined in the Constitution and the realities of daily life.

Strong Reactions, Mixed Silence

The interruption triggered swift reactions. President Jakov Milatović condemned the incident and demanded that the film be shown again. His cabinet urged police and prosecutors to identify and prosecute the perpetrators, stressing that the public should be given another opportunity to see the film. Yet the Montenegrin Prime Minister has so far remained silent, a fact that has drawn criticism from Albanian parties and NGOs alike.

On Friday evening, as a symbolic counter-response, the film was broadcast with Montenegrin subtitles on the first channel of the national broadcaster RTCG. Still, many argue that “Lejleku” must also be screened again in Podgorica, at the very spot where it was interrupted, to show that the state does not bow to nationalism. Festival organizers have pledged to do just that.

Qosja: “Orchestrated by Serbia”

Director Isa Qosja expressed little surprise at the incident. “The interruption by extreme Serbian nationalists does not surprise me,” he told Koha. “They cannot tolerate even the language of another people, let alone their presence, their culture, or their space. Let them suffer in this way—because we exist and will always exist.”

Qosja said he regretted the impact on the Montenegrin audience who admired the film and revealed that many intellectuals and film lovers from Montenegro contacted him to express both anger at the interruption and enthusiasm for the movie. “This was planned and orchestrated from Serbia,” he added.

Gjurović: “The State and Society Are to Blame”

Co-producer Ivan Gjurović, from Montenegro, placed responsibility squarely on state institutions and society at large. “The screening was stopped because some were bothered by the language. But they are not to blame. The blame lies with a state and a society that never built a civic framework, but instead allowed false myths, nationalism, and divisions to flourish—often to conceal crime and corruption,” he said.

Gjurović described “Lejleku” not as a nationalist work, but as a deeply human story about migration, women without rights, and dying villages. “If it provokes, that is good—because provocation is the essence of art,” he said.

Albanian Leaders Condemn, Institutions React

Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Albanian Alternative party, Nik Gjeloshaj, labeled the disruption “a state issue, not just an Albanian community issue,” criticizing the silence of Montenegrin institutions. Albanian MP Ilir Čapuni called it “a shameful and unacceptable act” and “a direct attack on Montenegro’s foundations as a multiethnic state.”

The Democratic League of Albanians in Montenegro also condemned the act, calling it “a clear display of anti-Albanian nationalism.” The Albanian National Council warned that such incidents represent repeated violations of minority rights and cultural freedoms.

Meanwhile, Montenegro’s Ministry of Culture, its State Film Center, and the Montenegrin Cinematheque issued a joint statement stressing that film must remain “a space for dialogue and freedom of expression,” and that the use of different languages in cinema reflects the country’s multiethnic richness.

“Lejleku”: A Cinematic Achievement

“Lejleku” premiered in 2024 at the PriFest International Film Festival in Prishtina. Set in the abandoned village of Vuthaj, on the Montenegrin-Albanian border, the film portrays the intertwined destinies of three generations of women facing hardship, migration, and cultural loss.

The cast includes Shkumbin Istrefi, Arta Dobroshi, Flonja Kodheli, Donat Qosja, Doresa Rexha, and Arben Bajraktaraj. Supported by Eurimages with €80,000, the film represents the first Montenegrin project backed by the European film fund. It was co-produced by companies from Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia, making it a rare regional collaboration.

Far from being a nationalist manifesto, critics describe “Lejleku” as a universal cinematic narrative—tragic yet poetic—about people, identity, and survival.