Brother (Galenian film)
| Brother | |
|---|---|
 Exclusive Gaullican theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ermal Loshaj |
| Written by | Ermal Loshaj Tahir Neziri |
| Screenplay by | Rudina Qira Bekim Qira |
| Produced by | Ermal Loshaj Rudina Qira Bekim Qira |
| Starring | Zemëror Sadiraj Arbi Carcani Lulzime Musliu Zamira Emini Lodovico Rinaldi Bislim Pernaska |
| Cinematography | Shejnaze Lumaj |
| Edited by | Yll Dukagjini |
| Music by | Rrahman Gjonaj |
Production company | Qira Prodhime |
| Distributed by | Defrim Gacaferi IFT |
Release date | 2 October 2020 (Montecara Film Festival) |
Running time | 164 minutes |
| Country | Galenia |
| Language | Galenian |
| Budget | €52 million |
Brother (Galenian: Vëlla; Gaullican: Frère) is a Galenian war film directed by Ermal Loshaj and produced by Rudina and Bekim Qira. The movie tells the story of two brothers who follow opposite sides in the Galenian Independence conflicts: the youngest brother fights with the Etrurian Revolutionary Republic, while the oldest goes to Kartha to fight alongside the rebels and the URT. It stars Zemëror Sadiraj and Arbi Carcani as the lead actors. Lodovico Rinaldi starring in the film marks the first ever casting of a fully Etrurian actor or actress in a Galenian production.
The movie depicts life during the independence conflicts in Galenia in the 1940s, as well as the rural life, and fraternal relationship versus political alignment. With a budget of €52 million, Brother is the most expansive Galenian production up to date. The movie was released on October 2nd, during the 81st Montecara Film Festival, where it competes for a béco aùreo.
Plot
The film starts with Senad Kerstoviq being released from the municipal jail in Vaçëri, after getting into a bar fight the night before. He then a public van that drives him for 2 hours back to his home at YYY, a village in Gjërgje only 25 minutes away from Novalia. When he arrives there, his family is waiting, as he spent over 2 days away. While his mother has a hysterical breakdown, his younger brother hugs him and then explains that a war between Etruria and other territories had just started. That same night, both brothers go over to the houses little lake, where they sit and tell stories to each other about how they picture their lives like while Ymer said he wises his life is stable and comfortable, Senad states that his biggest dream is to live a free life. The next morning, they receive a letter of conscription by the Etrurian government, summoning every man within the republic to fight with the Etrurian army. Ymer promptly agrees with it, which makes Senad very mad. After a heated argument, the brothers end up in a fistfight, when Dafina comes to separate the fight. Ymer packs up and leaves within the same day, while Senad has a breakdown and goes drink in a bar at the YYY town center. There, he meets a URT recruiter who takes him to Kartha with the promise of fighting for the freedom of his country.
Once in Kartha, Senad meets Fatos Rexhepi, leader of the URT, who assigns him to a mission in Tyrrenhus, Etruria. The movie slips forward to when they are in location preparing for the mass shooting in an embassy when local forces intervene. Senad and his peers try to run by a car while being followed by the Etrurians, when they hit the car on a tree, which allows the local forces to catch up and capture all of them. They are sent to a digging camp, where they are told to dig their graves without their knowledge. A bit before the digging was complete, the site is visited by General Ascanio Salerno. However, one of General Salerno’s immediate officials is Ymer Kerstoviq. When General Salerno realizes that both Ymer and Senad know each other, he gives Ymer a choice: You either kill Senad and fight for your country’s liberty ad unity, or you can go with Senad and be considered a traitor to Etruria. Ymer hesitates to do it, so Salerno does it himself. Senad falls inside the grave and stays there dead.
Ymer, once back to his unit, decides to run away and hide far from the Etrurian lands. He sends a letter to his sister before running away to Centuripe, Tarpeia since returning to Galenia would be dangerous due to his involvement with Etruria. He sneaks out at night and runs to Tarpeia while exchanging letters with his sister. In those letters, he explains to his sister what happened to him, the things he had done, and the whole episode with his brother. On the day of his last trip from a village in southwest Novalia to Centuripe, he sends the last letter to his sister. When 10 kilometers away from Centuripe, his bus is attacked by Piraeans rebels and he is murdered when the Piraeans find out he used to be an Etrurian official. The film closes with the sister opening Ymer’s last letter, where he says he finally feels free after all these years, and that he felt like his life had just begun.
Cast
- Zemëror Sadiraj as Senad Kerstoviq, the older brother who fights for independence
- Arbi Carcani as Ymer Kerstoviq, the younger brother who fights for Etruria
- Lulzime Musliu as the Kerstoviq family’s mother
- Zamira Emini as Dafina “Dafi” Kerstoviq, the youngest child of the family
- Lodovico Rinaldi as General Ascanio Salerno from the Etrurian Revolutionary Republic
- Bislim Pernaska as Fatos Rexhepi, leader of the URT and the Galenian independence movement