Xhanfise (Çipi) Keko, a film director specializing in children’s films and People’s Artist, passed away. She was born in Gjirokastër in 1928. She studied film editing in Moscow. Her career evolved over the years, transitioning into directing beloved films that prominently featured children as main actors. Her husband, the documentary filmmaker Endri Keko, was a supportive figure in her career. Despite being produced under the guise of propaganda, her films served as a window to escape the political pressures of the time and offered not only children but also parents a model for child education. Many of her films were inspired by Albania’s past, especially during the period of Nazi occupation and the impact it left on the collective memory of children. (In the photo: Xhanfise (Chipi) Keko)
Text: Central State Archive, Tirana.
Photo: © http://nationalfilmcenter.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/SKM_C22719010413181.jpg
Graphic processing: AHCF
