Sales agent M-Appeal has released the trailer (below) for “A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On,” the second feature film by Gentian Koçi. It will world premiere in competition at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival later in November, and is Albania’s entry for the Academy Awards.
“A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On” is an emotional drama, set in Tirana. Agim and Gëzim, identical twins in their thirties, have a strong bond of brotherly love. They are deaf, but this doesn’t get in the way of their everyday life. One day they receive the diagnosis that they will also lose their sight, and they are confronted with their changing relationship to the world.
The narrative-driven film is led by strong performances from Portuguese twin actors Edgar Morais and Rafael Morais, as well as Drita Kabashi who plays the role of Gëzim’s girlfriend Ana. Koçi defines it as “a story of brotherhood, love and communication.”
The characters are mostly filmed at eye level, from a frontal perspective, with a focus on their faces and hands, a decision Koçi made to closely reflect the experience of deaf communication. The three leads, as well as the producer Blerina Hankollari, spent six months learning Albanian sign language with the Albania National Association of the Deaf (ANAD) in preparation for the film.
This is Koçi’s second feature film, following “Daybreak,” which had its world premiere at Sarajevo Film Festival, and was Albania’s entry for the Oscars in 2017. It is produced by Artalb Film Productions (Albania), in co-production with Maria & Mayer (Portugal), Graal Films (Greece), and Added Value Films (Kosovo).