The great artist Mirush Kabashi in the role of “Venjamini” in the series “Former Emblem” Tv!
It is the year 1978. The Albanian public radio and television is making the TV movie with 4 series “Former Emblem” based on the script of Ismail Kadare and Kujtim Ymer. Ylli Pepo has been assigned to direct the film. Its director, who was usually considered the film’s producer at that time, was Ylli Kokona.
It is a dramatic film with some disturbing scenes and events. The murder in the parish on a dark night with rain and lightning, the black hoods, the four mysterious figures dressed in black capes that roam the area to cover the traces of oil sources; among others, there are also some characters that immediately attract the viewer’s attention, such as the interpreted role of Ms. Tinka Kurti, of a 100-year-old woman, her testimonies about hoods, the role of the great artist Prokop Mima (Stefan Haurja), or the role of “Veniamin”, who suffers from asthma, an enigmatic man who comes around at night with a bag he carries some empty bottles, and…..well, here we will stop to talk about this character masterfully embodied by the actor Mirush Kabashi.
It will be his first role in the cinematography, a dramatic role quite different from the profile of Mirushi, who until then had performed on the stage of the “Aleksander Moisiu” Theater in several comedies and was even known in one of them, precisely in “Yellow card”. After the actor has read the script, he accepts the role, even though he knows that there is a difficult shooting scene with some of the big dogs of that village….
To come to the successful realization of this character, the actor has to pass a test difficult that will turn out to be tragicomic. Dressed in a jacket and with a sack on his arm, “Venjamini”, who is also asthmatic, walks in one of the fields of Pojan village where the scene was being shot. In addition to the filming staff, the villagers were also present. In the background were also those “actors” who would perform together with Mirushi, the big and large shepherd dogs of a station nearby. At the moment, they appeared friendly, in peace, and of course a way had to be found to turn them towards “Venjamin”, as was the scenario.
How will this be done?
The director tells Mirushi to hold a piece of meat in his hand, but he objects, saying: “It’s hard to do because how does a dog know where the meat ends and where the hand begins”?! It’s not even a question!!!
Well, the staff and the director insist that Mirushi should at least try it. Yellow in the face, the great artist who will later interpret many characters that will remain in the history of Albanian cinematography, leaves like that, scared with a piece of meat in his hand. A part of the territory of the scene that was being filmed was separated by ropes from the owners of the dogs as well as from the villagers present.
And the moment came.
Ciac!
And in fact, there was no need for anyone to encourage the dogs with a “skape”. Everyone was startled as soon as they saw the meat in the hands of “Venjamin” who had already run a little out of fear and a little from the scenario he had to follow.
One of the dogs was hanging from the back of his jacket, another from his sleeve, the other was clinging to the bag, another to his pants, so six of these big dogs that were barking incessantly were clinging to the actor, who was extremely frightened and pale, fall to the ground!
After regaining his composure, Mirushi once again addresses the director and the staff that this is an impossible and life-threatening scene. Dogs that were big could even tear him apart, so he asks for his resignation….
The camera operator of the film in question, Engjell Strazimiri, approaches him and says: “You have read the script, you are good at this job, you must do it because here millions of leke (albanian money) are spent in making this film.
You have this role to play, and I have the camera to stand by. Everyone has to do their assigned work”, putting Mirushi in the seder. Even a little afraid of this conversation, he decides to try it one more time anyway.
The second time will be even worse. The attack of the dogs was even more savage. Mirushi could feel the sound of his pants and jacket being ripped and torn. Meanwhile, the villagers had fallen to their knees laughing and none of the people present bothered to enter and separate the dogs from this attack. 
Something had to be done to save these dogs who did not take into account that it was just a movie scene and that the negative character was a fictitious part of the movie and not from real life, the “enemy of the people”.
Then Mirushi decided to run towards the cameraman with all the dogs that were chasing him. As soon as the cameraman sees that the fight is coming towards him, he leaves the camera there and runs away.
Mirushi insists on the impossibility of realizing this scene further. He tries to explain the difficulties to the staff, telling them to put themselves in his positions.
Anyway, what was able to be shot is sent to Tirana to Kinostudio for editing. The great, unforgettable artist Prokop Mima and at the same time a professor of the art of acting with that kindness of his tries to explain himself:
“Mirush, those scenes that were filmed turned out to be extremely beautiful but… And Mirushi feels that after that “but” something is wrong! “…….but those scenes cannot be assembled, so one more test must be done” ends the great master P. Mima.
“Please, professor, I’m shaking from those scenes just listening to you, I won’t try them again. It’s good that I escaped without being bitten, and now I have to do it again… ” – Mirushi returns
“Look, dear Mirush – the professor continues – I’ve thought about it, I’ll give you a pair of “shajak” pants that are about 1 cm thick and which you will wear under the pants of the role…” 
On the one hand, Mirushi wanted that scene to be filmed and come out as well as possible because he had invested up to that moment, had risked and sacrificed for the job in embodying the role of Veniamin. There was no way to withdraw now that most of the work was almost done.
Mirush decide to try it for the third time. It starts 1 hour early, and Mirushi himself decided to feed the dogs with some bread and pieces of sausage to make them feel better.
Well, dogs don’t want to know. Even this time their fight was as wild as the first two, even this time Mirushi felt the bite on his left leg and the tearing off of a piece of meat with a whole part of the pants of the “shajak” that were supposed to protect him.
The shooting is interrupted. Mirushi is not sent to the hotel where the film staff was located, but sent to the country’s ambulance, telling him that “due to the state responsibility we have, now we are obliged to give him injections against tetanus and at the same time against rabies in the stomach” .
Mirushi’s health was under constant surveillance to prevent any “signs of rage” and to keep morale high, the situation turns into humor. During a conversation with the director of the film Mr. Ylli Kokona, who had come specially from Tirana, Mirushi assures him that he is fine and that he has no worries (and with a sense of hunger he barks “huuuumm” next time during the dialogue). Even Kokona replies with humor: “Then I’ll leave the room before you bite me.”
The exclusivity on this page is dated January 6, 2023 __________________
Albanian Cinematography in activity since 2013
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