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Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to Visar Morina’s “Shame and Money.” The film won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival, which qualifies
it to compete for the Oscar for international feature film under new Academy rules.
Oscilloscope is planning a theatrical release in early 2027.
The film, which stars Astrit Kabashi, Flonja Kodheli, Kumrije Hoxa, Fiona Gllavica and Alban Ukaj, was co-written by Morina with Doruntina Basha.
The film centers on a couple in their 40s who live with their extended family in rural Kosovo making a modest living on their farm. Following a familial dispute, their livelihood is lost. They are forced to move to Pristina where the pressure to provide for their family weighs heavily on the parents as they do their best to find work and a place to stay.
Morina said: “In times when the majority of people worldwide are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, I believe we need a kind of class consciousness, and I hope our film makes a small contribution toward that.”
Oscilloscope president Dan Berger said, “Visar’s has drawn a portrait of a family that is subtle, searingly real and ultimately humane. We feel as one with the characters and their struggles, fully signed on for this indictment of an economic system constructed to keep too many people down.”
The producers are Fabian Altenried, Sophie Ahrens and Kristof Gerega from Schuldenberg Films (“Objet a,” “Strange River,” “Life Is Not a Competition but I’m Winning”), along with Pia Hellenthal (“Searching Eva”) and Morina.
Rights have also been acquired via international sales agency The Yellow Affair for France (Arizona Distribution), Indonesia (Falcon), Spain (Mirror Audiovisual), Switzerland (Trigon) and Filmarti (Turkey) with further deals expected to close soon. Eksystent Filmverleih released the film theatrically in Germany in September.
“Shame and Money” has won a plethora of awards since Sundance including the Cinemasters Jury Prize at FilmFest Munich, best film and best actor at Prifest Kosovo and four awards at ODA Film Festival – best movie, actress, actor and script.
“Shame and Money” is Morina’s third feature, following “Exile” and “Babai.” He is represented by Cinetic Media.
