THE LEGACY OF ALBANIAN COMMUNIST-ERA MOVIES: THEIR ROLE IN SHAPING POST-COMMUNIST PERCEPTIONS OF THE REGIME

Abstract

Cinema in general has proven to be quite a useful tool in generating emotional responses to certain topics and events and in shaping people’s perceptions and understanding of history and political regimes. As a result, it was used as a means of propaganda during the communist regime in Albania, for the political elite to establish its power and promote the communist ideology and remains to this day, popular among the domestic audience. This research specifically is concerned with the role of Albanian communist-era movies in shaping the perceptions of those who were born after the demise of the regime as they did not experience the reality of the time themselves. Therefore, this mixed-method study aims to answer the research question “How do Albanian communist-era movies shape the perceptions of people born after the fall of communism regarding the communist regime in Albania?” The study contributes to the literature by providing insight into the complex relationship between Albanian communist-era movies and these perceptions.