Xhanfize (Çipi) Keko, a film director and People’s Artist, was born in Gjirokastër. From 1950 to 1952, she completed a montage course in Moscow and began working at the “Shqipëria e Re” Film Studio, where she established the montage sector in 1952. She worked on documentary and chronicle films and, from 1966, served as a montage director for feature films. Xhanfize Keko became well-known through her films that naturally and authentically address themes and the world of children, such as: “Tingujt dhe fëmijët” (1970), “A. B. C. … Zh” (1971), “Mimoza llastica” (1973), “Beni ecën vetë” (1975), “Tinguj lufte” (1976), “Tomka dhe shokët e tij” (1977), “Partizani i vogël Velo” (1980), “Kur po xhirohej një film” (1981), and “Taulanti kërkon një motër” (1984). Her body of work includes around 18 documentary and chronicle films and 12 feature films, some of which have received awards and medals at film festivals both domestically and internationally. She received the First-Class Republic Award. She passed away in 2007. (In the photo: Xhanfize Keko)
Text: Albanian Encyclopedic Dictionary – Vol. 2, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, pages 1147–1148.
Photo: © https://www.kultplus.com/teatri/sot-90-vjetori-i-lindjes-se-regjisores-xhanfise-keko/
Graphic processing: AHCF
