The story of National Hero Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu on the big screen of cinema would certainly come as an international product. Although born such a great fighter, small Albania in 1953 didn't have the technical possibilities, and for the sake of truth neither the professional actors (the high school for actors "Aleksandër Moisiu", has been opened on September 16, 1959) to screen national hero.
The ally of the time, the Soviet Union, would help, which would enable the realization of the first and the only biographical film about Skanderbeg.
The film participated in the Cannes Film Festival in 1953 where it was awarded with two prizes, "International Prize" and "Special Mention" for best director.
In that period the film was shown in the cinemas of almost all European countries, thus presenting to the European public the story of the Albanian national hero. Some time ago, the researcher Aurel Plasari published a rare poster of the time of the movie Skanderbeg.
Nicknamed the "Knight of Christianity" by the Vatican, Skanderbeg served and defended Christian Europe, although was already on the verge of collapsing against the power of the most powerful Empire of the time, turning Albania into a Barricade and Battlefield to the Ottoman Range. The film shows the moment when Gjergj Kastrioti unites the Albanian princes by marrying Donika and organizes the League of Lezha.
The film has massive scenes of historical battles and the siege of Kruja. The Russian film directed by Sergei Yutkevich had an international cast of actors such as Akaki Khorava, the Georgian actor who portrayed Skanderbeg, Semyon Sokolovsky as Hamza, Veriko Anjaparidze (Dafina), and the well-known Albanian actors Naim Frashëri (Pali), Besa Imami ( Donika), Avdije Alibali (Mamica), etc.
