The General Gramophone
The Gramophone General is a 1979 Albanian drama film directed and written by Vath Koreshi. The soundtrack by Aleksandër Peçi was recorded by Remzi Lela and Mentor Xhemali. A 4K resolution restoration was released in 2023.
Plot
In the mid-1930s, the penetration and preparation of the Italian invasion of 1939 began. Halit Berati, a virtuoso clarinetist and Parandili, are invited by an Italian entrepreneur to record in gramophone plates, their tunes which will be sold together with Italian music the time of fascism. During this time the strikes of oil workers begin where Halit Berati is a worker.Cast
- Bujar Lako - Halit Berati
- Guljelm Radoja - Mr. Alberto
- Kadri Roshi - Parandil
- Sulejman Pitarka - Avdi
- Reshat Arbana - mayor
- Sheri Mita - Michele
- Stavri Shkurti - Braho
Production
The General Gramophone was directed by Viktor Gjika and written by Vath Koreshi. Koreshi named the main character Halit after the clarinetist Halit Përmeti. Aleksandër Peçi composed the soundtrack and all of the music was recorded by Remzi Lela and Mentor Xhemali. The costume design was done by Ilia Xhokaxhi and Atalanda Pasko edited the film.Produced by National Center of [Cinematography (Albania)|Kinostudio], shooting was done in Qyteti Stalin, Korçë, and Berat.
The 1970s was a period of Albanian cinema in which the depiction of Italians and Fascist Italy's control of Albania were common. The Azienda [Italiana Petroli Albania], which Enver Hoxha said "sucked the blood of our economy" is featured in the film. Strikes by the union Puna at the AIPA plant in Kuçovë in 1935 and 1936, are reenacted in the film.