With the testimonies of the sons of the Syku tribe, Albert and David, we shed light not only on the famous character Tuc Maku from the film "Our Land", but also on the fate of the women, men and children of this large family from Bregu i Mati, who experienced all the circles of communist hell with persecution, internment, imprisonment, forced labor, social isolation, denial of education and upbringing and repeated public ridicule, in conditions of their lack of voice for decades.

With them, we began today the journey of the Film Club "Let's Learn from the Past" in collaboration with the Central State Film Archive (AQSHF), a new initiative of education and reflection on the way in which the cinema of the communist period was subjected to the censorship of the regime and influenced the shaping of political and social culture by distorting the perception of the so-called reforms implemented during the dictatorship and which continue today and foster harmful nostalgia.

The President of AIDSSH, Dr. Gentiana Sula, emphasized the necessity of building critical thinking through films produced during the years '44–'91, focusing on the concept of historical thought, stating "that it is not just about the fate of a family or the tarnishing of an individual's reputation, but about events of great historical significance, events that had a long-term impact during and after the dictatorship."

The first film discussed is "Our Land", a work that deals with agrarian reform and collectivization.

"The fact that such a discussion about communist films is only happening after 35 years shows that there are still institutional barriers, clichés and stereotypes that need to be addressed. The films of that time are not just art – they are documents of a propaganda strategy, a form of social engineering that deeply influenced the collective consciousness."

'Our Land' is not just the story of one character; it is the story of an entire persecuted family, of an entire stigmatized community. Through this Film Club, we aim to give younger generations the tools to separate art from propaganda and to understand the human costs of a system that saw the individual as 'contingent' from birth.

"The history depicted in these films is much larger than an artistic episode. It includes political, economic and social events that have left deep traces and continue to influence today. Therefore, our duty is to bring them back into the discussion and document them responsibly."

The Director of the AQSHF, Mr. Eljan Tanini said: "The Film Archive preserves our film history, a precious heritage that serves us to learn. The films of the past carry artistic values ​​and evidence of the time, despite the ideological burden that accompanied them. With the Authority's Film Club, we create a space where the film is connected to the archival document, helping especially young people to read these works with a critical and informed eye.

AIDSSH member, Mr. Gjergj Marku, emphasized that “Our Land” represents a typical example of how cinema was used to legitimize the politics of the time, constructing one-sided narratives that today must be read beyond propaganda. The film is full of untruths and we give meaning to history only when we tell the truth; otherwise, if we do not tell it, we do the same thing as in a dictatorship.

In his historical analysis, researcher Xhafer Sadiku underlined that agrarian reform and collectivization, presented as economic and social development, in reality only brought about a blow to the so-called wealthy classes, brought about their persecution, social isolation, internment, punishments and imprisonment.
According to him, class warfare in a classless society, as propagated by totalitarian regimes, is terrorism.

Art scholar, Ms. Anxhela Çikopano, added that the drama "Our Land" was one of the most staged plays of socialist realization, which was quickly re-adapted to the ideological needs of the government. It was written to build ideological conflict through art, using "negative" characters as representative figures of those the regime declared enemies, which shows that the film was an aesthetic mechanism of the party's control over society.

“To understand the past, we must free ourselves from what happened, and the greatest challenge for us as scholars is to free ourselves from emotions; only through facts and analysis do we manage to separate truth from distortion,” added Ms. Cikopano.

In his presentation, Dr. Edlir Orhani brought important archival findings from the archival documents of the former State Security which shed light on the reality of the Syku family, showing the contrast between the film narrative and historical documents that prove the unfair treatment of these families as well as unjust prison sentences.

The descendant of the Syku family, Mr. David Syku, brought before the audience the story of their family, one of the most affected, which in the cinema of the time was portrayed through the figure of "Tuc Maku".

He recalled the history of his family and Bregu i Matës, describing the consequences of the agrarian reform and the persecution of the families of landowners who did not agree with the communist regime. David Syku pointed out communist indoctrination and propaganda, including the drama and film “Our Land”, written by teacher Kol Jakova to support the system.

His father, Prel Syku, was arrested in 1951 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, of which he served 12. He was arrested again in 1978 and re-sentenced to 10 years for “agitation and propaganda.” David Syku described visits to prisons such as Spaçi, Ballshi, Tirana, and Shkodra, and touching moments of family reunions with his father.
In conclusion, Rovena Rrozhani, who moderated the meeting, returned to the question: how should today's generation read a film, when today's documents show a distorted reality?

Participants in the debate that accompanied the activity said that film should be seen as a source of study, not as historical evidence, while archival analysis and human stories help deconstruct the patterns of stigmatization that communist cinema instilled in the public of the time and that, in subconscious ways, continue today.
The Film Club aims to bring a new, balanced and document-based reading.

The initiative is part of the Educational Platform “Learning from the Past - with Open Educational Resources '44-'91”, which offers teachers, students and researchers digitized archival materials, selected film excerpts, survivor testimonies, discussion modules led by experts in education, history and art. The goal is to build critical thinking and to more clearly understand the connection between art, propaganda and the oppression of social groups.

Albanian films produced during the communist period did not escape censorship in any detail. In them, the categories declared "class enemies" were presented uniformly: traitors, foreign agents. Enemies of the people.

This stereotype included: wealthy families and landowners, independent merchants and craftsmen, intellectuals considered “suspicious”, people with “bad” biographies who often had not even committed any crime. The “negative” role in the film, played by actors who we know today for their talent, translated in reality into isolation, public ridicule, social rejection and interruption of life prospects.

Influenced and oppressive cinema fed prejudices and justified the regime's policies. This cultural legacy, engraved in the collective memory for decades, still has consequences in the way society perceives certain social categories today.

File Authority