Roland Sejko’s compelling documentary feature, *Film di Stato* (State Film), premiered at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Jihlava in 2025. This cinematic work, which received backing from Luce Cinecittà—the organization slated to handle its theatrical release in Italy next spring—serves as a profound, non-verbal inquiry into the forty-year reign of Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship in Albania. Running 78 minutes, the film intentionally foregoes any voiceover narration, relying exclusively on sophisticated editing techniques and immersive sound design to trace the nation’s turbulent journey from the aftermath of World War II to the eventual collapse of the communist system.
Sejko is widely recognized for his skill in transforming historical documents into visual poetry. His methodology is rigorous: he uses only footage originally created by the regime itself, which was explicitly designed to function as state propaganda. This approach allows the viewer a unique perspective, enabling them not merely to observe history but to feel the underlying pulse and expectations of the era, capturing moments ranging from orchestrated mass gatherings to the chilling, hushed silence surrounding the leader. Critics have observed that this technique forces the archive to move beyond simple historical documentation; it actively constructs the narrative of power, which Sejko then critically exposes.
The director’s ambition is not simply to replay propaganda, but to use montage and sound to build a counter-narrative that directly challenges the imposed meaning. He meticulously reveals the subtle fissures and hidden signals within the footage, allowing for an entirely different interpretation of historical events to emerge. This forensic deconstruction of the mechanisms of self-aggrandizing power holds particular relevance in the current era, where information streams constantly strive to shape our perception of reality. The ability to understand how a historical machine of authority manufactured its own image provides a crucial framework for discerning manipulation in the contemporary media landscape.
*State Film* transcends a mere localized look at Albanian autocracy; it functions as a universal examination of the inherent blind spots of unchecked power. In its desperate drive for self-glorification, the regime unwittingly left behind documentary evidence of its own deep-seated internal emptiness. The picture, which had previously secured recognition at the “Giornate degli Autori” (Days of the Authors) in Venice, was selected to open the main “Opus Bonum” competition at Jihlava. This high-profile placement reaffirms Roland Sejko’s status as one of Italy’s leading contemporary masters specializing in the critical analysis of documentary heritage.