Actor Mehdi Malkaj was a guest on the “Review” program this Sunday, hosted by Greta Topjana on Euronews Albania, where he commented on social and political developments in the country.
Të lidhura
None found
During the conversation, he stressed that in Albanian society, a person’s identity or profession is often not taken into account, including whether they are an artist. According to him, what remains decisive is political affiliation and the way individuals follow the party’s positions.
Malkaj also spoke about an incident he experienced while taking part in a protest. He said that a person riding a bicycle had slapped him on the back and told him not to go to that protest again.
“I have said what I think, and I have a lot behind me. But then someone comes along on a bicycle, slaps you on the back and tells you: ‘Don’t go there again.’ But what about me?” the actor recounted.
He added that, in his view, such behavior does not necessarily stem from the individual, but from the influence of political leaders and the education they received from them from an early age.
“It does not matter to anyone whether you are an artist or not. People only look at which party you follow and what the party tells them. This is how people think,” Malkaj said.
The actor extended his criticism to relations between generations as well, saying that older people and parents often pass the same old way of thinking on to their children.
He cited as an example grandparents’ stories about the war, the Germans they killed and the prisoners they captured, arguing that these stories influence the development of the younger generation.
“Grandparents tell children about the war, what they did, and how many Germans they killed or took prisoner,” he said.
Malkaj also mentioned a specific incident he heard about in an elevator, in which a grandfather asked his granddaughter to honor him and she responded with a punch. In his view, children should have the opportunity to grow up on their own and in a different community.
“Let that girl grow up on her own and develop in a different community. Grandparents and fathers are a major problem, because we often see things repeated and becoming the same all over again,” the actor concluded.
