Guests included Kosovo’s Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi, representatives from the US, Swiss, Swedish and Finnish government offices in Kosovo, a range of local politicians and a large contingent from the media and civil society sectors.
The film was introduced by Tim Judah, the well-known British Balkan analyst and regular contributor to BIRN’s Balkan Insight publication, and Jeta Xharra, BIRN Kosovo director and a producer of this documentary.
Ivana Enzler, local representative of the Swiss foreign ministry, which supported this project, invited the audience to ‘open your eyes and ears and enjoy the challenge,’ as they watched the film.
The documentary, which delved into many issues still painful for Kosovar Albanians, was in fact received very well by its Pristina audience, which seemed to enjoy it thoroughly.
Agim Zatriqi, director of the national broadcaster, RTK, found the film very informative.
‘It’s like medicine. All medicines are bitter, but they are healthy,’ he said.
‘It was very interesting to see the comparison with other parts of former Yugoslavia, not just Kosovo,’ said Margaret Sejdiaj from the Swedish office.
Lea Nimani, a marketing consultant for IPKO, a local internet company, also considered the documentary very informative, and a real eye-opener.
UNMIK official Nicholas Guinard praised the documentary, welcoming ‘at last a very frank film, which hides no aspect.’ He believed if would ‘feed the debate in a very constructive manner.’
‘The movie’s timing is just perfect, coming out exactly as the talks intensify,’ said Muhamet Hajrullahu, a KTV journalist, finding it particularly useful in demonstrating ‘how diametrically opposite the opinions of Serbs and Albanians are.’
Alex Anderson, from the International Crisis Group, had seen the film before, and was therefore more interested in observing viewers’ responses to it.
‘The audience was good humored,’ he found.
The film was aired at 22:00 the same evening on RTK, Kosovo’s public service broadcaster.