Interview | Zhaneta Petushi, makeup artist!

Zhaneta Petushi Makeup Artist

Gimmicking an artist isn't just about making him look good under the spotlights of TV stages or studios. It is a creation in itself. It is transformation. Even more so when it comes to theater or cinema, where you have to transform the same actor into dozens of different characters… Make-up artist, Zhaneta Petushi

An interview given to "Panorama" (August 2013)

* * * The make-up artist, Zhaneta Petushi, keeps hundreds of stories from her long collaboration with the artists of the National Theater, formerly Populor and Kinostudio. Sandër Prosi, Naim Frashëri, Kadri Roshi, Serafin Fanku… actors who are unfortunately no longer alive, before going down to the set or going on stage, have passed into the hands of Zhaneta Petushi. He has made them look younger, older, scary bastards, humble priests… The last meeting with Naim Frashër, who would pass away after filming the drama "Fisherman's Family", remains unforgettable for him. From her hands, Dhaskal Todri has passed to "Udha eshkronjave", the general to "The general of the dead army", and so on… The work changes with ballerinas, singers or presenters. He really didn't need a job as creative as with the actors, but he had to deal with everyone's quirks.

The makeup artist shows how Vaçe Zela and Edi Luarasi behaved before they went on stage. How did they find the materials at a time when Albania was closed and where did they get the information about the latest fashion trends, which with or without the will of the dictatorship, entered among the Albanians. The make-up artist, who now lives in the United States of America, tells about all this…

Zhaneta Petushi The beginning of my work at RTSH experimental television was not difficult. It was just a light make-up that I applied to the two beautiful announcers, Stoli Beli who gave the news and Zerina Kukës who presented the programs. The professional difficulties began in the new television center with the recording of teledramas brought to TV by all the professional theaters of Albania. I started it in 1973 with the drama "Zekthi" that director Albert Minga made for the screen. We can also call it the first TV movie. Zekthi was played by Serafin Fanku, who during the play wore make-up twice: once as a young boy of 18 and after many, many years, as a man, with a face killed by imprisonment and war. From the 36-year-old Serafini, I had to transform him into an 18-year-old young man. In addition to the makeup on the face, with a thin mass that I usually used to twist the mustache, heating it in a vacuum furnace, after two hours I managed to make his hair curly. While in the other figure I now had to completely imagine, so that it would not be recognized that it was him, Zekthi. In addition to the hair, I added a beard, a mustache and two scar marks on his face. The drama also required me to work with an elderly man, a Catholic priest. In addition to the old man makeup, I also needed a wig with white hair, which I didn't have. I improvised it with white sheep's wool, sewing around the perimeter a small round takieye that Catholic priests wear on their heads… I loved the profession of makeup artist. It seemed to me the most beautiful job in the world, when you saw that day after day, from your hands came out the ugliest, or the most beautiful figures, the most different types and characters. It was shooting at times, because the actors themselves didn't recognize themselves and the pleasure grew even more… You told us about Seraf Fanku, how was the work with Naim Frashëri, Kadri Roshi, Sandër Prosi, actors who unfortunately are no longer alive? The actors became so familiar with the make-up of the theater, which was completely different from that of television, that without it it seemed that they would not be able to perform at the level they were used to being liked. Care had to be taken with them to convince them to undergo a TV make-up, which was very sensitive in front of the camera. In the staging of "The General of the Dead Army", which was also made into a telefilm, Sandër Prosi played the role on stage with a beard like that of the Italian Alpine soldiers. He was a general of our day and I wanted to bring him back in time, without an Alpine beard, just wearing a pair of berets of the time. Sandrin and I got along quickly. We struck a deal with him at "Udha e Shkronjave" from the beginning. Sandri grew his hair as I asked, while I worked on his beard and mustache with hair color. Sandri was very pleased with this mask. These collaborations came to my mind in those moments of deep sadness, when I learned of his tragic death, and I am happy and sad at the same time when I watch those performances of his now. The collaboration with Naim Frashëri, with that colossal actor, with a very rich repertoire, but never screened on television, was shocking. Especially the last meeting has remained in my mind… What made this last meeting so shocking? Vladimir Prifti directed "The Fisherman's Family" and Naim played the main role. Even with this great artist, my collaboration went wonderfully. Except, good Naim, died on the last night, as soon as the filming of the drama was over. I trembled when I remembered that a few hours ago I had his head in my hands… While with Kadri Roshi, I keep two memories. In the drama "Epoka before the trial" I had the idea to compare his portrait with one of the Frashëri brothers. He liked the idea. For a long time, with my imagination and many pictures of Abdyl Frashër, pasted on the mirror (among them a banknote), I adapted the portrait of the frashër on the unforgettable face of the great Kadri Roshi. He agreed without a word for me to remove his conjoined eyebrows as well. At the end, when I finished, he said to me: "Zhani, I have forgiven you for everything, but I don't forgive you for breaking my nose for a cigarette!". Then, I made Kadri's mask for the role of Ndrio in the movie "The Path of Letters", but he did not shoot that role. I don't know what stopped him, but Ndrion was then played quite successfully by Ndrek Luca, with whom we also had a perfect harmony. You have closely known the whims and claims of many Albanian artists. Which of them has been the least "convinced" to trust your aesthetic eye? Zoica Haxho in the filming of the ballet "Halili and Hajria". After I put on the pre-washed and styled wig, I told her that to make her eye look bigger I would apply a pair of false eyelashes. Zoica immediately objected: “I don't want them! They will show me how to cheat". "How to wash?!" – I tried to tell her, – "Yes, Zoicë, you have a wig on your head, the eyelashes are also part of the trick"… When he saw Sekine Sharof's artificial eyelashes, he liked them, changed his mind and came to me like a sheep. When she came on stage before the shoot, Albert Minga, who was the director who was going to record her, and Agron Aliaj, the ballet master who saw her completely different from the stage makeup, shouted from afar: "Zoica, you look wonderful!". What about the comforter of them in the make-up chair? When it comes to creating types and characters, none of the artists feel at ease. So do I, until my work is done, the emotions are both sides. Tell us a little about the singers, they probably had less work, but more fun, right? I can't forget Vaçe Zela with her wonderful hair, since the director asked me to cut it. I never did that. I admired Vače as a singer, besides having her as a friend. I wanted to make it as beautiful as possible, but Vačja did not give me this opportunity. The first was not interested in the dress until the last minute. Once I sat in front of the mirror naked. "Where is your dress?", I asked her. "I still don't know what I'm going to wear. I don't like anything." He looked at me from head to toe and said: "Will you give me this dress that you are wearing?". He was not for the stage, but Vačja at that moment had nowhere to find a better dress than him… Vačja had strong emotions before going on stage. As soon as I started work, she would get up and go to the bathroom. This was repeated several times, until I finished… The opposite of Vaça was Edi Luarasi, who showed an extraordinary commitment to her appearance, as an announcer at the famous festival, the eleventh. With the artistic director and director Mihallaq Luarasi, we took the pieces of the exhibition of the Chinese manufacture for the clothes of that festival. Ed and I chose the pieces and the patterns of how they would be sewn. The beautiful floor-length dresses and the excellent performance of Edi Luarasi left an amazing impression that is still remembered today. How did you provide the work tools, everything you needed for makeup? I worked non-stop to complete the hairdressing department: wigs, beards, bassets, eyebrows, mustaches, etc. I was given a certain amount of currency every year by the state. A professional French company was found, which I received through Italy, with a wide range of products, both for television and film makeup, called "Zhasmine", which has also received "Oscar" awards. Was there censorship in the daily life of your work, since you worked closely under the dictates of a communist system… Whether the dictatorship wanted it or not, the fashion of painting and clothing penetrated through Italian television, as did the Italian language. Despite the presence of censorship, our women and girls tried to look modern and there were plenty of them who did not leave without following young women. I was given the nickname "the modernity of Tirana". At work, the director Vera Grabocka and I were criticized by "cultured" communists who came to us from the working class following the example of the Chinese revolution, to "correct" us intellectuals who had slipped. But to no avail. Fortunately, the team protected us. While in life, fashion once came with very light lipstick and later very dark, almost black. These were absolutely not allowed on television. Where did you get the models you were referring to? Foreign magazines did not circulate, what did you do so that the artists did not look the same? I got the characters and types from observation in life and from experience. Such were the peasants, the bureaucrats, the serviles, the intellectuals, the lepers, the mountaineers of the North, the Khoxallars, the priests… In addition, I had to know the past eras. And as for the artists to look alike, that never happens. Each person has his own characteristics, he is unique, unrepeatable. "Zhasmina", together with the materials, sent me many professional and scientific magazines, such as those of the Academy of Beauty Sciences. They were of great value to me in perfecting my profession. In 1993, based on my knowledge, in the study of these scientific materials, of the five golden laws of cosmetics, with the help of my colleague and friend, chief engineer Agron Aranitasi, we opened a weekly column with editor Ariana Kokobobo. It was titled "Beauty and Man". In these shows I demonstrated directly on the faces of girls and women how to take care of their skin, hair, protection and nutrition. And according to the golden rules of beauty, I taught them how, with the help of a light toilet, to correct e.g. an eye socket, a protruding eyeball, a large forehead, a large, broad nose, a long chin. These programs were made on television for the first time and had a lot of resonance, even when I had the chance to go to Macedonia, I noticed with pleasure that there, too, people followed our lessons on the screen with interest. * * * The make-up artist who took care of the dead body of E. Hoxhe During the long years of work, the make-up artist Zhaneta Petushi has gone through all kinds of experiences, difficult types, criticism for modernist tendencies, but the event that she will never forget, although he doesn't talk about it often, it is the make-up of the dead former dictator. Zhaneta Petushi was chosen to prepare the dictator's body for homage in April 1985. For a full 6 days, she took care of the color of the face and nails, hair, and the repair of damages that occurred during the homage (distortion of the nose, a hole in cheeks, blackening of fevers). In an interview given for the "I Woman" supplement, Petushi revealed that the dictator had an operation to remove wrinkles after his death. While the line of thousands of people waited to pay their respects, the make-up artist had to face the situation, perhaps the most difficult of her life: to take care of the lifeless body of the dictator. __________________ Albanian cinematography in activity since 2013 Reference: Ermira Isufaj. "G. Panorama" / August 2013

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