Polyphony - Albania's Forgotten Voices


Two shepherds in the Albanian mountains, Arif, a Muslim, and Anastas, an orthodox Christian, have been friends for years in spite of religious barriers. Their profound friendship is constantly strengthened by a local musical tradition, the polyphony. In 2005 this vocal tradition has been declared UNESCO-World Heritage.
The film sets up unforgettable images of the severe poetry, the harsh fates and the almost magical power of the human voice, which helps people in the mountains to master their surreal daily routine at a contradictory stage of a post-socialist change. On another level, the film gives an example of how music – even in the Balkans – can build bridges between people and religions.


Björn Reinhardt, Eckehard Pistrick


Born in Eastern germany in 1963, Björn Reinhardt worked for many years as a stage designer and documentarian before emigrating to Romania in 2002. For the last 10 years he has been making internationally appraised documentaries mainly in the Maramures region, but also Crete, Northern Greece, Albania, and elsewhere. Since 2007 he has also been working as a photographer.