In the repressive climate created after the IV Plenum of the Albanian People's Party (June 1973), when Enver Hoxha and the Party of Labor declared open war on "liberalism" in culture and demanded the complete subordination of art to the ideological line, the Minister of Education and Culture, Thoma Deliana, drafted an official letter banning and suspending two artistic works: the documentary film "On the Paths of the Technical-Scientific Revolution", a production of the Kinostudio "New Albania", and the novel "A Name on Four Roads" by Petro Marko, published by the "Naim Frashëri" Publishing House. Both works were accused of ideological deviations, distortion of socialist reality, lack of revolutionary strength, erotic descriptions and inappropriate treatment of the figure of women and the leader Enver Hoxha, and became the subject of a series of punishments among filmmakers and artists. Director Mithat Fagu was sent for re-education in production outside Tirana and referred to the authorities for criminal prosecution; former deputy artistic director Piro Milkani was criticized, dismissed as artistic director for approving ideologically wrong scripts and lack of responsibility during the production; while Petro Marko was asked to return the payment for the banned novel. At the same time, directors of Kinostudio and the publishing house took disciplinary measures, such as dismissals, reprimands and warnings. This archival document is concrete evidence of the way in which the political instructions of the Fourth Plenum were implemented in practice with rigor and administrative violence, transforming art into an object of ideological control and artists into permanent targets of the Party.
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: INFORMATION
ON THE DOCUMENTARY FILM “IN THE PATHS OF THE TECHNICAL-SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION” AND PETRO MARKOS’ NOVEL “A NAME ON FOUR ROADS”
Recently, two works with ideological errors have been prepared (the documentary film "On the Paths of the Technical-Scientific Revolution" by Kinostudio "New Albania" and the novel "A Name on Four Roads" by the "Naim Frashëri" Publishing House), which have been suspended and have not been released.
The film distorts our socialist reality and discredits the technical-scientific revolution taking place in our country.
The novel, which is permeated by debauchery and moral degeneration, by erotic descriptions and scenes, does not truthfully and forcefully reflect Zog's regime, and does not present Albanian women and the figure of Comrade Enver correctly.
For these two acts of ideological error, the grassroots party organizations of both institutions have conducted the relevant analyses and have assigned responsibility to the party and government.
a) For the "New Albania" Film Studio
At the meeting of the basic organization of Kinostudio, attended by friends Foto Çami and Dashnor Mamaqi, a deep critical analysis of the film and the work system of this institution was made.
The director of Kinostudio, Vangjush Zallëmi, who was introduced to the film materials on August 31 of this year, made important remarks to the authors. However, not being consistent and cutting it to the end, under pressure from the authors, he allowed work to continue on further editing the film and to show it to the collective for discussion.
Former deputy artistic director, Piro Milkani, approved the ideologically flawed script "Shokët grinavecë" and did not follow the work in the process, during which even more serious mistakes were made. The editorial team, in reviewing, discussing and approving this film, did a shallow job with pronounced flaws.
The party's grassroots organization has taken the following measures:
1. The Director of the Kinostudio, Vangjush Zallëmi, should be given a warning on his registration card;
2. The Deputy Artistic Director, Piro Milkani, was dismissed from this position some time ago for other weaknesses of this character;
3. Director Mithat Fagu should be removed from Kinostudio and sent for re-education in production outside Tirana;
4. The film's editor, Muharrem Skënder, should be given a warning;
5. The head of the script editor, Peçi Dado, should be dismissed from his position;
6. The chairman of the production branch, Teodor Siliq, and the secretary of the basic party organization of the production branch, Pashko Çomo, should be given a warning on their registration card;
7. All editors who participated in the discussion of the script and the sound engineer, Lavdí Fortuzi, should be given a warning.
The conclusions of the party's grassroots organization and the measures it has taken were presented to the collective, which approved them.
I spoke with comrade Hysni and comrade Ramiz about these measures, and their opinion was that we should stick to the measures taken by the party's grassroots organization; while we will hold director Mitat Fagu financially accountable and hand him over to the judicial authorities for criminal prosecution.
b) For the “Naim Frashëri” Publishing House
The party organization, in its analysis of this novel, decided to dismiss the former director, Ali Abdihoxha, and the chief of the prose editorial office, Dhurata Xoxe.
We did not take measures for material liability towards the directors because the government decision “On the material liability of the managing, administrative and literary-artistic personnel” comes into force on January 1, 1974. We will ask the author of the novel, the editor and the reviewers to return the money they received.
Tirana, 18.12.1973
MINISTER:
(Thoma Deliana)
