Arbëria Viva, the Albanian Arbër Agalliu triumphs at the Fashion Movie of Cosenza

 Arbër Agalliu getting the price

 The 23rd edition of Moda Movie, the show dedicated to fashion and cinema ended today in Cosenza, were participated many leading names of the Italian fashion and cinema.

Arbër Agalliu, is the Albanian who won the special jury prize for presenting in the best manner the Arbëresh communities, not only of Calabria, but of all of Southern Italy, he was among the winners of the film festival in Cosenza.

"I'm really happy with this award, it's everyone's prize, not just mine. It is the prize of all the Arbëreshs that give me the opportunity to tell their personal stories and their history as a linguistic minority...I wanted to make the first photo of the award at the "Santa Sofia d’Epiro", a small Arbëresh village in the province of Cosenza, let's say that I wanted to bring the award home, in Arbëria." Agalliu said to AlbaniaNews.

"The jury awarded my work, which unlike the other videos, consisted of a collage of four videos, three published and one unpublished, entitled 'Arbëria Viva'. I named it this way because often speaking of the Arbëreshe communities we affirm the fact that they are dying, less and less young people of the Arbëresh community in these remote areas, but at the same time the videos of my collage have a common thread that is the music, the music by Angela Dell'Aquila of Chieuti, the music of the young boys from The Daggs of Piana degli Albanesi, the music of Anna Stratigò from Lungro, in short, the music that has kept a culture alive for a long time from now.

Arbër Agalliu and members of Arbëresh community in Cozenca

I also thank the organizers of the event, Loredana Celiberto who takes care of the cinema part, the creator of this event Sante Orrico, who with their commitment and in their small way have turned the spotlight on the arbëreshe communities ... here would be more such initiatives.

"It would be interesting to also involve Albania in these initiatives and to make the Albanian citizens aware of a part of ancient Albania that has survived for centuries in Southern Italy, this can be done by involving the institutions and communicating in the best way with this activities that are carried out in these small realities that need our extreme support."

Arbër Agalliu having a beer after getting the price

"I also took advantage of this visit to Cosenza not only to participate in the Moda Movie event and award ceremony, but also to shoot new interviews, to discover and tell the public about the new Arbëresh realities, because that's the way it works, making a network together."