Pjetër Gjoka (1912-1982), episodes during his career in the interpretation of roles! His family would settle in Shkodra in 1915. Shkodra welcomed them with rain. It was there that the life of the one who would later be the "People's Artist" would begin. This is how the actor remembered his arrival in Albania years later: "Even today, at this age, I feel those cold curls, like a hand the iron passed through my face, with a frozen, icy caress, as if they wanted to drown my cry for bread". He would take his first lessons at the Franciscan school in the same city, and his teacher would be Father Gjergj Fishta, with whom he would have many memories. One of them is the one that belongs to the day when little Peter, after the lesson, went to bathe in the river Kir and jumped from its bridge. Then, as he himself would confess, Fishta, who was not easy to talk to, had shouted at him and made him put his finger on his head. Peter was born a few months before the mother country declared independence. Years later he would say: "I waited for the declaration of Independence in diapers." I don't know if I cried or laughed that day. But now it seems to me that I would have laughed more than cried.
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A successful role of the artist Pjeter Gjoka would be that of Lleshi in the drama "The Return of Skënderbeu to Krujë". The drama, performed in 1937, was staged on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of independence. Pjetër Gjoka played successfully alongside Loro Kovac, in the role of Skënderbeu. Lleshi would go to Istanbul to convince Skënderbeu to return to Albania. The role itself embodied folk wisdom. Warmth and harshness melted into each other. The show organized by Loro Kovaçi, after the great success in Shkodër, on November 28, would be given in Tirana, which was filled with amateur troupes on those festive days. The drama was scheduled to be performed twice, at 5:00 p.m. for the citizens and at 8:00 p.m. for the King, dignitaries and guests. Its premiere would be accompanied by many vicissitudes that, even today, are still fresh among the few viewers who are still alive. The events, as Pjetri told, were connected with the arrival in Albania, invited by King Zog, of the son-in-law of the sultans' palace, the Turkish prince Habib. The amateur theater troupe was asked to perform in front of the king, the government and the "honorable friend", only on one condition, that the performance be subject to censorship. In the morning, Zogu's interior minister, Musa Juka, along with his staff, came to see the show. After seeing it they made some remarks. They were told that if they wanted to show the fourth act, as well as some parts of the second act, especially any insulting words directed at the Turks, should be removed. "We should not offend and anger our honorable friend, custom does not require us to do such a thing", said Musa Juka. After Loro Kovac's remarks, Minister Juka nervously shouted: "Do as I say, otherwise I will imprison everyone. Knowing well the values and needs of his fellow citizens, Juka, as he left angrily, whispered: "It's okay to give yourself only for the people, this doesn't bother us." Its culminating point was the moment when the old man Llesh (Pjetri), upon the arrival of Skënderbeu in Krujë, lowered the Turkish flag and raised the Albanian one. This caused the spectator to become delirious and shout "Long live Albania".
"The Dead" and "The Return of Skanderbeg to Kruje" The first role was in "A Dead". He was playing in an amateur theater, but his friends, who were also amateurs, got into a basement and during the performance decided to harass him, piercing him with a needle from under the stage. The scene of the role of the dead lasted 15 minutes, he did not move, he stood as if frozen, but his friends continued to pierce him, thinking that the needle had not reached his body. When the curtain closed, he did not move. After a while he got up and said: "Remember that I didn't feel it, see the place covered in blood." The role was the dead man and I played the dead man…” But the cultural societies then moved around the districts. They came and gave a show in Tirana. The show was called "The Return of Skanderbeg to Kruja". There, Pjeter Gjoka played the role of the 70-year-old old man, who is sent by the brave men of Kruja to Istanbul, to convince Skënderbeu to return to Albania. The artist was then 23 years old. The show was watched with interest by many viewers, even families from Shkodra who lived in Tirana. A girl who had come to her uncle, when she saw the show as a family, said: "How beautifully that old man plays." The cousin returns and says: "He is not an old man, but a young man!" That young girl, after a few years, Liza Gjoka, who in her youth interpreted Schiller's Marie Stuart, becomes the wife of People's Artist Pjeter Gjoka. Therefore, during his life he often said: "I dedicate a part of my success with all my heart to my wife, Lizeta."
"Third" – 1978 Director Albert Minga, recalls People's Artist Pjetër Gjoka: "We were shooting the film "I treti". All the preparations were ready. The director orders: – Quiet, the shooting begins! Scene: Gulielm Radoja was going to light a cigarette during the conversation. Artist Pjetër Gjoka was about to smoke a cigarette and answer. The scene was going well, but, at the moment, the director stopped the shooting……. "Mr. Pjeter – excuse me, yes, in a luxurious office, the cigarette does not shake on the table, but at that moment Pjetri checked around the place where he had placed it before and because he did not find it there, he answered: Someone has played it from the place where I have placed it, because I do not look, I try things several times so that I do not I'm ashamed of the shooting?! At that very moment, Guljelm Radoja admitted that he had made the movements on the table. Then Pjetri ordered him: "Please, next time, don't move any of the objects where I put them I explain to you. I come an hour and a half before you and place the objects in such a way that they do not disturb you, you know that I do not see…" This was one of the impressions of his fellow artists for the great master of the Albanian scene, who throughout his life is remembered for his correctness and implementation of strict discipline at work.
Albanian cinematography in activity since 2013 Reference: Fatmira Nikolli – "Gazeta Albanian" on line. The information was selected and adapted for the site as of August 2016
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