Directed by: Joshua Marston
Script: Joshua Marston, Andamion Murataj
Producer: Paul Mezey
Production company: Journeyman Pictures
Cinematography: Rob Hardy
Editing: Malcolm Jamieson
Music: Jacobo Lieberman, Leonardo Heiblum
Cast: Tristan Halilaj, Sindi Laçej, Refet Abazi, Ilire Vinca Çelaj, Çun Lajçi

Format: 35 mm
Running time: 108'

Synopsis
Nik is an Albanian teen with typical teen preoccupations. He likes goofing off on the internet, riding his friend’s motorcycle and flirting with Bardha, a girl at his school with a long braid and a shy smile. His carefree adolescence is cut short, however, when his father and uncle inflame a centuries-old land dispute by killing a neighbour. Nik and his family suddenly find themselves under the harsh rule of the Kanun, a fifteenth-century Albanian code of law that decrees a grieving family may seek justice by killing any male member of the opposing clan. While Nik’s father goes into hiding, the boy and his siblings are trapped under a medieval form of house arrest. 'The Forgiveness of Blood' works as a powerful coming-of-age story and a fascinating procedural account of the logistics of a feud. The film simultaneously relays a latent sense of danger and the oppressive boredom experienced by teens implicated in, but alienated from, old-world customs and duties. As with 'Maria Full of Grace', Marston offers an immersive experience of a frequently hidden pocket of the world.

Awards and Festivals
Berlin International Film Festival 2011 - Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention, Silver Bear for the Best Screenplay

Directors Biography
Joshua Marston was born in California. He holds an M.A. in political science from the University of Chicago and an M.F.A. in filmmaking from New York University. He has directed the films 'Maria Full of Grace' (2004, Special Jury mention at the 2nd Zagreb Film Festival), a segment of 'New York, I Love You' (2009) and 'The Forgiveness of Blood' (2011).

Location and screening schedule:
TUĹ KANAC CINEMA, Wednesday, October 19th at 13.00
EUROPA CINEMA, Wednesday, October 19th at 22.00
EUROPA CINEMA, Thursday, October 20th at 17.00