I BELIEVE THE PORTRAIT SAVED ME

Synopsis

Twenty-five years after his abduction during the Kosovo War, painter Skender Muja recalls a pivotal moment of survival. During the war’s final months, Muja and many Albanian citizens from Mitrovica were captured while attempting to flee Kosovo. Held in a school repurposed as a detention camp, they faced confinement, fear, and an uncertain fate. One day, the Serbian police commander presented Muja with a chilling ultimatum: to draw his portrait on a blackboard. “If it’s good, you’ll be spared. If not, I can’t guarantee anything,” he warned. Under immense pressure, Muja began sketching, aware that his life depended on his skill. The film alternates between two perspectives: Muja creating the portrait and the anxious faces of his fellow detainees. When the commander approves the drawing, Muja believes it saved his life.
Narrated by Muja, I BELIEVE THE PORTRAIT SAVED ME explores resilience and the profound impact of art in even the most oppressive circumstances.

Statement of the director(s)

I BELIEVE THE PORTRAIT SAVED ME is a deeply personal film for me, rooted in my father's real-life experience during the Kosovo War.
As a child, I grew up hearing fragments of this story, a moment when art became more than just expression; it became a lifeline. This story has stayed with me, not only because it is part of my family’s history but because it embodies the resilience of the human spirit.
In the darkest moments of war, my father was forced to rely on his artistic skill to survive. The act of drawing the portrait, a simple yet profound gesture became an intersection of power, fear, and hope.
Through this film, I wanted to explore that tension, capturing both the vulnerability and strength that art can evoke, even in the direst circumstances.
The film alternates between two perspectives: the act of creation itself and the collective anxiety of those who watched in silence, their lives entangled with the outcome of my father's drawing.
This interplay between the artist and the audience reflects the universal nature of art it can resonate beyond words, connecting people even in moments of uncertainty and fear.
For me, this is more than a story of survival; it’s a meditation on the power of creativity to endure, to resist, and to give hope. By sharing this intimate narrative, I hope to inspire reflection on the transformative role that art can play in our lives, even when faced with unimaginable adversity.

Selected at

Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg