Displaced

Shorts Competition, block III

A story of a post-war Kosovo ping pong club, the “Lidhja e Prizrenit” (League of Prizren). These youngsters and their coaches practice in difficult conditions even though some of them represent Kosovo in international competitions and have won medals in various European championships. Despite their success, the 'Ping Pong Federation' is still ignored by the local and central authorities.

”Displaced” is a tribute to all the athletes who, with enthusiasm and a quiet perseverance, manage to overcome the problem of lack of space, and represent their country by contributing more to the state than the state contributes to them. Their situation allows the filmmakers to express concerns such as migration, alienation and a general sense of hopelessness that pervade the lives of Kosovar society. The film takes the form of docu-fiction with actual events recreated by real characters combined with footage from the present. It was the only short documentary in Cannes 2001 official selection.