Renate Eichmeier:

So near and yet so far: a story about marriage – Albanian style
(Ganz nah und doch so fern: Vom Heiraten auf Albanisch)

Ilir drives from Greece to Shkodër in northern Albania to the christening of his little nephew, Kilian. He is the godfather. Ilir moved to Greece because he found a job there. Ilirs' fiancée, Iona, lives only 20 kilometers from Shkodër. But she doesn't attend the christening, and Ilir is not able to visit Iona, although they are officially married. The problem is that Ilir, as an Albanian immigrant, didn't find a woman in Greece. However, perhaps he also preferred finding a wife from the conservative north of Albania; here, the women are considered to be very reliable and faithful. In any case, he met Iona through Mbleseri; that's traditional Albanian matchmaking. And he can only live with her once he's celebrated the traditional wedding, the Dasme, with her. But that is very expensive ...

Stefan Hilsbecher, the director of the radio play, staged this piece together with, among others, students from the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (Public College for Music and Performing Arts) in Stuttgart.

So near and yet so far: a story about marriage – Albanian style
(Ganz nah und doch so fern: Vom Heiraten auf Albanisch)
Radio feature by Renate Eichmeier

Wednesday, February 11, 2009, from 7:20 – 7:50 p.m.
on SWR2 "Dschungel" (Jungle)