Llazi Sërbo
Encyclopedia
Llazi Sërbo was an Albanian
movie and theater actor and later director. His forty years long activity included around 100 roles. Sërbo will be particularly remembered for the films Yjet e Neteve te gjata (Stars of Long Nights) (1972) and Operacioni Zjarri (Operation Fire) (1973), whereas he also played an excellent German
Wehrmacht
official in the movie Nusja dhe shtetrrethimi (The Bride and the Curfew) (1978). Sërbo was granted the Merited Artist of Albania
award in 1991 and the Nderi i Qarkut (Honor of the County) (of the County of Korçë) award in 2009.
Sërbo had suffered for a long time from depression and committed suicide on 12 September 2010, following the example of the other well-known Albanian actor, Bekim Fehmiu
, who had also killed himself three months earlier.
, where he finished the elementary and high school. After high school he worked as a painting teacher in the town of Pogradec
. After two years of teaching he attended the Academy of Arts
in Tirana
, where he profitably studied acting in the following four years.
agent, infiltrated into an anti-communist band operating in northern Albania in 1953, a scenario taken from a real story. After that movie, Sërbo was one of the victims of the 1973 purges of the 11th Plenum of the Communist Party of Albania
, which caused him to disappear from any movies for a full four year period: during this time he played only on theatre roles. Upon his return to cinematography, he continued to excel in all the roles he played. Memorable is the role of the German
Wehrmacht
official in the Nusja dhe shtetrrethimi film (The Bride and the Curfew) (1978).
Sërbo was considered to be a handsome actor and never passed unobserved in his movies, rather his presence was felt. In addition to his good appearance, he was often said by movie directors to be a perfectionist in his approach to acting. In the Kush vdes në këmbë movie (Who dies on his feet) (1984), dedicated to the figure of 19th century patriot and Albanian language teacher, Petro Nini Luarasi
, Sërbo refused to show up at the rehearsals and threatened to leave the cast and travel back to his hometown, because he had not been given the right shoes to play his part, that of Ajaz Gjika, a kachak
. Sërbo demanded 19th century shoes so that he could fit perfectly in the character. Sërbo also demanded and obtained an excellent horse to play the movie, rather than the one which he had initially been given, because, according to him, "the horse should have a fierce character, similar to that of his master". The horse that ended up playing the movie was, in fact, of an excellent breed, because movie director, Vladimir Prifti, in order to please the actor, found a way to "recruit" the grand-grandchild of Naklon, a horse donated by Joseph Stalin
to Albania in the 1950s. The horse had a cost that would today be the equivalent of $2-3 million.
In 1986, one year after Enver Hoxha
's death, Sërbo moved to Tirana
, where he started to work as an assistant director and had the chance to co-direct a number of movies. He also worked as a director in the theater. Sërbo was critical in the last years with the fact that, according to him, there are more actors than premieres. Sërbo was the author of the mise-en-scène of Kostandine and Doruntine and co-scenarist of the theatrical piece with the Albanian well-known writer Ismail Kadare
.
Sërbo had suffered from chronic depression of which he was under cures. Nevertheless, therapies notwithstanding, he killed himself with his hunting rifle on September 12 2010 and was found dead in the morning after at his house in Korçë. He was 65 and died a bachelor. He had prior confided to one of his close friends that he wished to have a death similar to that of another famous Albanian actor, Bekim Fehmiu
, who had committed suicide three months before Sërbo's death.
Besides acting, Sërbo cherished photography as a hobby. He was a participant in the Albanian photography competition Marubi 2003. Sërbo had been awarded the Merited Artist of Albania
award in 1991 and the Nderi i Qarkut (Honor of the County) award in 2009.
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
movie and theater actor and later director. His forty years long activity included around 100 roles. Sërbo will be particularly remembered for the films Yjet e Neteve te gjata (Stars of Long Nights) (1972) and Operacioni Zjarri (Operation Fire) (1973), whereas he also played an excellent German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
official in the movie Nusja dhe shtetrrethimi (The Bride and the Curfew) (1978). Sërbo was granted the Merited Artist of Albania
Merited Artist of Albania
Merited Artist of Albania was a state honorary title for the decoration of outstanding art performers of People's Socialist Republic of Albania. It was created by law in 1960 and amended in 1980...
award in 1991 and the Nderi i Qarkut (Honor of the County) (of the County of Korçë) award in 2009.
Sërbo had suffered for a long time from depression and committed suicide on 12 September 2010, following the example of the other well-known Albanian actor, Bekim Fehmiu
Bekim Fehmiu
Bekim Fehmiu was a Yugoslavian theater and film actor of Albanian ethnicity. He was the first Eastern European actor to star in Hollywood during the Cold War.-Background:...
, who had also killed himself three months earlier.
Early life
Sërbo was born in 1945 in the city of KorçëKorçë
Korçë is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 105,000 people , making it the sixth largest city in Albania...
, where he finished the elementary and high school. After high school he worked as a painting teacher in the town of Pogradec
Pogradec
Pogradec is a city in southeastern Albania, situated on the shores of Ohrid lake. It is the capital of the District of Pogradec, in the County of Korçë, located at 40.87°N and 20.70°E with a population of around 30,000 . The total area of the district is 725 km². Pogradec alone occupies about...
. After two years of teaching he attended the Academy of Arts
Academy of Music and Arts of Albania
Albanian University of Arts is the main institution that offers higher education in the arts in Albania.-Brief History:...
in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, where he profitably studied acting in the following four years.
Career
Sërbo was for the following forty years an actor and director in the Andon Z. Çajupi theatre of Korçë. He also had prominent roles in many movies produced by the Albanian Kinostudio Shqipëria e Re. His first role in theatre was in the Njollat e murrme drama (The Black Spots). He also acted in many Albanian films. His first role in a movie was in Yjet e Neteve te gjata (Stars of Long Nights) (1972), where he actually did not pronounce a single word, His first starring role came in the Operacioni Zjarri film (Operation Fire) (1973), where Sërbo had the role of Kreshnik Martini, a SigurimiSigurimi
The Drejtoria e Sigurimit të Shtetit , commonly called the Sigurimi, was the state security, intelligence and secret police service of the Socialist People's Republic of Albania...
agent, infiltrated into an anti-communist band operating in northern Albania in 1953, a scenario taken from a real story. After that movie, Sërbo was one of the victims of the 1973 purges of the 11th Plenum of the Communist Party of Albania
Communist Party of Albania
Communist Party of Albania may refer to:* Party of Labour of Albania * Communist Party of Albania * Communist Party of Albania 8 November...
, which caused him to disappear from any movies for a full four year period: during this time he played only on theatre roles. Upon his return to cinematography, he continued to excel in all the roles he played. Memorable is the role of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
official in the Nusja dhe shtetrrethimi film (The Bride and the Curfew) (1978).
Sërbo was considered to be a handsome actor and never passed unobserved in his movies, rather his presence was felt. In addition to his good appearance, he was often said by movie directors to be a perfectionist in his approach to acting. In the Kush vdes në këmbë movie (Who dies on his feet) (1984), dedicated to the figure of 19th century patriot and Albanian language teacher, Petro Nini Luarasi
Petro Nini Luarasi
Petro Nini Luarasi was an Albanian rilindas activist, Christian orthodox priest, teacher and journalist...
, Sërbo refused to show up at the rehearsals and threatened to leave the cast and travel back to his hometown, because he had not been given the right shoes to play his part, that of Ajaz Gjika, a kachak
Kachak
A Kachak is an originally Turkish term for rebel or bandit. In Albania the term is used to define guerrilla units established by Albanian revolutionaries who fought in Albanian inhabited areas against foreign rule during the period of the Albanian National Awakening and the early 20th century in...
. Sërbo demanded 19th century shoes so that he could fit perfectly in the character. Sërbo also demanded and obtained an excellent horse to play the movie, rather than the one which he had initially been given, because, according to him, "the horse should have a fierce character, similar to that of his master". The horse that ended up playing the movie was, in fact, of an excellent breed, because movie director, Vladimir Prifti, in order to please the actor, found a way to "recruit" the grand-grandchild of Naklon, a horse donated by Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
to Albania in the 1950s. The horse had a cost that would today be the equivalent of $2-3 million.
In 1986, one year after Enver Hoxha
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
's death, Sërbo moved to Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, where he started to work as an assistant director and had the chance to co-direct a number of movies. He also worked as a director in the theater. Sërbo was critical in the last years with the fact that, according to him, there are more actors than premieres. Sërbo was the author of the mise-en-scène of Kostandine and Doruntine and co-scenarist of the theatrical piece with the Albanian well-known writer Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare is an Albanian writer. He is known for his novels, although he was first noticed for his poetry collections. In the 1960s he focused on short stories until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army. In 1996 he became a lifetime member of the Academy of Moral...
.
Sërbo had suffered from chronic depression of which he was under cures. Nevertheless, therapies notwithstanding, he killed himself with his hunting rifle on September 12 2010 and was found dead in the morning after at his house in Korçë. He was 65 and died a bachelor. He had prior confided to one of his close friends that he wished to have a death similar to that of another famous Albanian actor, Bekim Fehmiu
Bekim Fehmiu
Bekim Fehmiu was a Yugoslavian theater and film actor of Albanian ethnicity. He was the first Eastern European actor to star in Hollywood during the Cold War.-Background:...
, who had committed suicide three months before Sërbo's death.
Besides acting, Sërbo cherished photography as a hobby. He was a participant in the Albanian photography competition Marubi 2003. Sërbo had been awarded the Merited Artist of Albania
Merited Artist of Albania
Merited Artist of Albania was a state honorary title for the decoration of outstanding art performers of People's Socialist Republic of Albania. It was created by law in 1960 and amended in 1980...
award in 1991 and the Nderi i Qarkut (Honor of the County) award in 2009.
Filmography
The following chronological is Sërbo's list of movies per IMDB.- Yjet e Neteve te gjata (Stars of Long Nights) (1972)
- Operacioni Zjarri (The Operation Fire) (1973)
- Shëmbja e idhujve (The Destruction of the Idols) (1977)
- Nusja dhe shtetërrethimi (The Bride and the Curfew) (1978)
- Gracka (The trap) (1983)
- Kush vdes në këmbë (Who dies on his feet) (1984)
- Dasma e shtyrë (The Postponed Wedding) (1984)
- Tre njerëz me guna (Three Men with Cloaks) (1985)
- Asgjë nuk harrohet (Nothing is Forgotten) (1985)