Mevlan Shanaj: Bringing Rikard Ljarjen to the screen is as much a pleasure as it is a responsibility

The documentary "Rikard" brings the great artist Rikard Ljarja to the cinema screen. The documentary scripted by Natasha Lako and directed by Mevlan Shanaj will premiere on April 1st at 19.00 at the Millennium cinema. Director Mevlan Shanaj tells about the work that was done for the realization of this documentary, which brings the great artist to the screen. He says that Rikard Ljarja came as a unique portrait of the cinema, since the first movie "Commissioner of Light". "Bringing Rikard Ljarje to the screen is as much a pleasure as it is a responsibility! It is not an easy thing to bring to the screen the emblem of the man who had conquered the hearts of the viewers. He is a big name on the Albanian screen, since Rikardi came as a unique portrait of modern Albanian cinema, since the first film "Commissioner of Light" Dritan Shkaba became a nationwide figure and for this the main credit was Rikardi's, says director Mevlan Shanaj about the artist. Director Shanaj shows that his face was conceived with the image of goodness and beauty that the viewer is looking for on the screen. Shanaj says that generally the viewer, the reader builds in his mind the hero of the good, the beautiful and when he comes ready it is fixed in his memory. "Rikardi went from one character to another until 1973 when he was 30 years old with the most accomplished character of his career in the film "White Streets", Deda creates the feeling that it is Rikardi who is acting and not the character of the character, in this there is a perfect conception of the character with the actor!", says the well-known director Shanaj. Director Shanaj shows that his face was conceived with the image of goodness and beauty that the viewer is looking for on the screen. Shanaj says that generally the viewer, the reader builds in his mind the hero of the good, the beautiful and when he comes ready it is fixed in his memory. "Rikardi went from one character to another until 1973 when he was 30 years old with the most accomplished character of his career in the film "White Streets", Deda creates the feeling that it is Rikardi who is acting and not the character of the character, in this there is a perfect conception of the character with the actor!", says the well-known director Shanaj. Director Shanaj shows that his face was conceived with the image of goodness and beauty that the viewer is looking for on the screen. Shanaj says that generally the viewer, the reader builds in his mind the hero of the good, the beautiful and when he comes ready it is fixed in his memory. "Rikardi went from one character to another until 1973 when he was 30 years old with the most accomplished character of his career in the film "White Streets", Deda creates the feeling that it is Rikardi who is acting and not the character of the character, in this there is a perfect conception of the character with the actor!", says the well-known director Shanaj. of beauty and when he comes ready it is fixed in his memory. "Rikardi went from one character to another until 1973 when he was 30 years old with the most accomplished character of his career in the film "White Streets", Deda creates the feeling that it is Rikardi who is acting and not the character of the character, in this there is a perfect conception of the character with the actor!", says the well-known director Shanaj. of beauty and when he comes ready it is fixed in his memory. "Rikardi went from one character to another until 1973 when he was 30 years old with the most accomplished character of his career in the film "White Streets", Deda creates the feeling that it is Rikardi who is acting and not the character of the character, in this there is a perfect conception of the character with the actor!", says the well-known director Shanaj.

 Working with the documentary

The director Mevlan Shanaj this time made a documentary dedicated to the great artist Rikard Ljarja, who was also one of his friends. Filming for the documentary was done in Tirana, Shkodër and several other places in Albania, as well as interviews in Pristina and Skopje. The documentary "Rikard" is a production by Black box - Tan Kazazi. Director Shanaj says that three years ago the work on the realization of this documentary started. "This documentary was promised on the day it aired on April 20 three years ago at the height of covid. We couldn't follow up, but when Marjeta returned from Shkodra that evening, I called her and promised her that I will make a documentary about Rikardi. Along with Natasha's script, the journey of the documentary about one of the most famous people on our screen and one of my close friends for almost 50 years began! On April 1, he would have had his 80th anniversary", says Shanaj. Director Mevlan Shanaj says that Rikard Ljarja was the most complex artistic figure in Albania. "He started his artistic life as a musician (piano, accordion, bassoon and compositions). Actor of almost 50 roles, director of over 12 films and scripts! Over 100 paintings and finally 6 novels. None of us have such a rich CV! Above all, apart from complex creativity, he had the greatness of modesty!", says Shanaj. As a director, Mevlan Shanaj has previously dealt with major figures in his projects, where he now says that it is also a documentary dedicated to the artist Rikard Ljarja. "It is a hobby of mine to treat major artistic figures, starting with Tefta Tashko, Marie Kraja, Lasgush Poradeci, Pandi Raidhi, Vangjush Furrxhi, Ndrekë Luca, Xhanfise Keko and now Rikard", says Shanaj.