The Scenic Almanac | November, 28
We remember today, on this historic date for
our country, the birth and separation from life of our 4 artists who
unfortunately no longer live.
Born on this date:
Koco Devole (1943 – 2020) Comedian, caricaturist,
screenwriter, director and show men.
Agim Zajmi (1936-2013) Scenographer, painter, lecturer! People's Painter and "Professor"
Anastas Kondo (1937 – 2006) Writer, screenwriter. He is the author of the screenplay for the movie
"Last Winter".
As well as separation from life
Elida Cangonji (1953 – 2016) Actress and psychologist
Honor and respect! Unforgettable!
KOCO
DEVOLE (1943 – 2020)
Comedian,
caricaturist, screenwriter, director and show men.
He was born in Kuçova on November 28, 1945, to a family
originally from Poloska in Korça. He remains one of the most famous personalities of Albanian humor. His roles on stage and screen are among the best known to the
Albanian public.
Since 1946, together with his family, he moved to Tirana. Studied mechanical engineering for two years at the University of
Tirana. In his sophomore year of high school he auditioned for drama at the Academy
of Arts, and did not win, calling him untalented. However, he will find another way to enter the Scenic Art so as not to
leave it anymore even occupy a place of honor in this genre. He worked as
an actor and director of the Army Central House Variety, in the magazine
"Hosteni" as a cartoonist. During the years 1970-1977 Devole was sent
several times to forced labor for ideological "mistakes" in the
performing arts. In 1978, Devole started working for the Albanian Television TVSH
as an editor, screenwriter and director of artistic programs. In 1997, when the Socialists took power, the Director of RTSH
dismissed him as incompetent. Devole is forced to emigrate with his family to the US.
In 2004 - 2005 he worked as a director and screenwriter
in the show "Fiks Fare" as well as in the humorous show
"Portokalli" Koço Devole is the author and director of many stage shows with
the variety troupe of Tirana, Fier, Berat, etc. He was a screenwriter and actor in the New Year Shows of RTSH in
the years 1980-1997. He has directed and acted in many of these comedies: Last Hunt 1992 ; Black bag 1986 ; Dead or Alive
Stage and TV Comedy. The bag with a million 1993 ; Great appetite 1995 ; Revolver of a Hero 1996 ; In Rome for Holiday 1996 ; Three friends without a maid 2000 ; Millionaires 2005 ; Karafil and Cleopatra ; Comrade Sillo is looking for a wife ; Once upon a time in Albania 2009… .. In 1997, together with Agron Llaken in "Telebingo ", his humor had a real shine.
The graeat artist Koco Devole, passed away on November 6, 2020.
PHOTOGALLERY : https://www.facebook.com/pg/ksh.faqjazyrtare/photos/?tab=album&album_id=812403558819514
AGIM ZAJMI
(1936-2013)
Scenographer, painter,
lecturer! People's
Painter and "Professor"
He was born in
Tirana on November 28. His family moved from
Peja, Kosovo, Albania in 1920. In 1957, he graduated from the Artistic High
School "Jordan Misja" in Tirana and then began his higher studies in
scenography at the Academy of Arts in Leningrad (today St. Petersburg). , in the former Soviet
Union, which ends in v. 1961. Initially worked as
a scenographer at the Opera and Ballet Theater, continued at the People's
Theater, further (1978) as a lecturer at the High Institute of Arts until
retiring in v. 2003. In over 40 years of uninterrupted work, with extensive
creativity, he has realized more than 250 projects in scenography, from
national and world drama, collaborating with many theaters in the Albanian expanse
(Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia).
In addition to scenography and costume design A. Zajmi is also known as an
easel painter with many landscapes, compositional paintings, portraits, etc. He also has a valuable contribution as a professor of scenography
at the Academy of Arts, teaching and training hundreds of young artists. He was president of the
National Association of Figurative Artists based in Tirana. He holds the title
"People's Painter", and the university title "Professor". A. Zajmi passed away on November 3, 2013.
PHOTOGALLERY: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ksh.faqjazyrtare/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3571893869537122
ELIDA CANGONJI (October 31, 1953 - November 28, 2016)
Actress, doctor and psychologist
Born on October
31, 1953 in Tirana. Coincidentally, she started her career as an actress, although
small with some feature films, but with so few interpretations, it must be said
that she did accomplished roles. When they told her that
she could play in the film, they even offered her the lead role, she stepped up
a bit, refused, but still driven by inner curiosity and of course by a somewhat
adventurous motive ... she accepted.
Deda's Zana, Shpetimi`s
Vera, Mato Gruda's Zana again, or Kanan`s Teacher, she was the same, the young
actress who was selected by the directors as the different image of the film. The assistant director at the time, Sajmir Kumbaro, stood out as she
took the bus to go to the medical faculty in the same place with many of those who worked at Kinostudio, used to get it too. So, after her audition for the film, she joined the crew in
Tropoja in the shooting of the film "White Roads" ,
in the well-known role of Zana, which is her first film in 1974.
Elida Cangoj has
worked with well-known directors of Albanian film such as: Viktor Gika, Gëzim
Erebara, Muharrem Fejzo, having as partners great actors such as Rikard Ljarja,
Timo Flloko, Astrit Cerma, Minella Borova to add later on the wonderful actor such
Robert Ndrenika , and actresses Tinka Kurti, Drita Pelingu etc. Elida Cangonji, together
with her Danish husband, had their residence in the south of France. After working as a
general doctor, then as a pediatrician she also practiced the profession of
child psychologist. She passed away after a serious illness on November 28,
2016 in France where he lived for a long time.
Filmography :
White Streets - (1974) .... Zana; Early Summer - (1975) ..... Vera; The Explosion - (1974); Paths of War - (1974); The Man with the Cannon - (1977); On the border of two
legends - (1981)
PHOTOGALLERY: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ksh.faqjazyrtare/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3563027830423726