Synopsis
October 1990. Inmates in a remote political prison in Albania are watching the TV evening news in the cafeteria. They follow with great interest the arrival, in Tirana, the capital city, of a European Delegation that will monitor the government’s implementation of the reforms it has promised – a major prerequisite for the country to be admitted into the OSCE.
They have high hopes that the time for them to be released has come. Pressure from international stakeholders on the Albanian government to push for further reform remains high, especially in human rights, which are seen as a litmus test for Albania’s membership.
Early in the morning, two security agents of the Ministry of Interior show up at the prison. They have been traveling thru the night, in order to arrive at the prison on time. They produce a special release order for a prisoner, Leo, and then leave with him urgently for Tirana. Leo doesn’t know where they are taking him. He considers several hypotheses. He’s been in jail for 15 years and he knows, from experience, that these unannounced renditions don’t end up well. Surprisingly, one of the agents, comrade Spiro, presents himself as a progressive, treats Leo well and makes him comfortable. He calls him “Professor”, as a sign of respect, and then he orders the other agent, his assistant Asllan, to take Leo’s handcuffs off. During the ride, he chats with Leo amicably and asks about the prisoner’s family and health. Leo has a daughter he hasn’t seen since she was 1 year old. His daughter was brought up by her mother. Only Leo’s elderly mother has remained in his old house in Tirana, watched over by the neighbors.
Asllan is a bigot, typical of Enver Hoxha’s times. He is uncouth, ignorant and treats Leo harshly, regarding him as an enemy of the People. He knows nothing about the secret operation and doesn’t understand why his boss, comrade Spiro, is treating the political prisoner with such kindness. This would never have happened, when the dictator was alive…
Leo realizes that this is an unusual mission and that he is being taken to Tirana because the government needs him. He tries hard to figure out why, but he cannot pinpoint the actual reason for this.
The mountain road is difficult and full of pot-holes, the curves are dangerous and sharp. Suddenly, the car experiences engine problems and stops. The driver tries to remind his bosses of his earlier warning that the car wasn’t working properly, and that they ignored it. They just ordered him to leave urgently.
The boss and Asllan do whatever they can, to help get the car fixed. They get help from a local woman – the Party Secretary at a village nearby. She sends for a skilled mechanic and his father, to fix the car.
The area is desolate; there is no traffic and only a few remote, decrepit villages are visible from the road. Comrade Spiro is the only one who knows about the secret plan and he is now getting nervous, because Leo won’t make it in time and the mission will