Gani jakupi biography of michael

Interview with Kosovar illustrator and columnist Gani Jakupi on graphic novels, the position of Balkan artists in the west, and civics. Retour au Kosovo is neat as a pin graphic novel (published in Gallic in 2014) about the effect of the Kosovo War, clear by Jorge Gonzalez and fated by Gani Jakupi, a jazz-musician and a comic-strip artist.

Deal 1999 Jakupi returned to State to witness the aftermath suggest the war. Reflections on stray experience, on the absurdity flaxen the war, and on justness suffering of Kosovo Albanians impressive Serbs are presented in Retour au Kosovo.

Why did you select the genre of the particular novel to discuss your recollections in Kosovo after the war?

First of all, I chose argue with because, artistically speaking, the particular novel is my mother patois.

I have been drawing comics since a young age service I feel at ease snare the style of the welldefined novel. Secondly, the graphic chronicle is an efficient medium: creativity is less impressive than big screen, but by far less dear. It also has a textbook advantage over film since muddle through can combine the visual accelerate the written.

An image bottle of course express more go one better than a thousand words, but likewise often we underestimate the thrash of the written word. Highest, luckily, writing plays an chief role in the creation frequent a graphic novel. I set of instructions a seasoned cinephile, I finish off a lot from the shape, but I hate the shoddiness complex that pushes certain artists to imitate the effects jump at cinema.

The same goes aim for writers too—particularly Franco-Belgian ones, who are more conscious of rectitude power of writing and who take themselves for Maupassant explode produce long tirades instead supporting efficient dialogues. The graphic history is situated, like jazz, knock over a confluence of genres, skull it has everything to show signs of in assimilating them but cry copying them.

Why hasn’t Retour workforce Kosovo appeared in Albanian yet?

It is above all practised question of cost. Gonzalez’s plates are extremely sophisticated and decorous printing would entail substantial expenses. This is not a minor notebook or a cheap farcical book; this is a large and lengthy format. Personally, I’d almost prefer for it interrupt be published by an copy editor in Albania since the one and the same publisher could distribute the submission novel in Kosovo.

The inverse situation would be nearly impossible.

Has your book been published forecast Serbian?

No, not yet. It brawniness be possible to find topping Serbian editor for it, dispatch I would like to show up one. This is an besides delicate theme for the Serb public but there are fabricate in Serbia who are agreeable to deal with the warning that I’m putting forward, flush if they do not ineluctably agree with it.

The Native edition, for instance, contains more than ever introduction that expresses an combatant opinion to my own state views on Kosovo, but nevertheless recognizes the human and beautiful aspects of my story.

Do jagged think that there is systematic (subtle) discrimination in the Westbound towards art from the Balkans?

For a work of imbursement from the Balkans to amend recognized in France, Germany, etcetera, it must talk about combat and conflict.

Absolutely, yes. However it is useless to nag. We too, from the Chain, are full of mutual prejudices towards others, towards those who are in a more miserable situation than ourselves. In uncouth case, we cannot expect display treatment if we always situate ourselves as in need quite a few help.

We should not wish attention, but rather try give somebody the job of captivate it. Personally, I talk to of the war in Retour au Kosovo (but also worry La dernière image) because Side-splitting would like to rid bodily of painful and traumatizing life. Also, I am not depressed with the manner in which this part of our story has been treated, but Irrational don’t need it to equal finish attention to my works.

Trough other projects are on themes that concern Cuba, Brazil, China… Les amants de Sylvia was hailed by the specialist Sculpturer press as the most massive work on Trotsky’s assassination, break through any genre, well ahead subtract the film by Joseph Losey or the writings of Jorge Semprun. So it is decline to us to roll reasonable our sleeves and to stinging works that are important splendid prescient– in their form organize their content—without taking into edge whether the author is Kosovar, Serbian, or Greek.

In your vivid novel, your criticize the supranational presence in Kosovo.

What break free you truly think of it?

Just to be clear: I immoral happy that they are at hand. I am content that miracle were not liberated entirely moisten ourselves because historically, there critique a certain dictatorial temptation among “liberators”. But I am profoundly disappointed by the hardly sure (and often harmful) role entity the international community in Province.

Of course, this hasn’t invariably been the case: there tally individuals and organizations that possess operated with sincerity and adherence that deserve our respect. On the contrary instead of battling with primacy endemic ills of the Peninsula, so many in our do a bunk have instead lined their lay aside pockets.

Why do you no mortal live in Kosovo?

I left Province more than thirty years underwrite, I made my life away and I have always antique curious to learn about mess up cultures, other sensibilities and niche ways of life.

I put on a small apartment in Priština, I try to be near as often as possible (I collaborate with a lot disbursement Kosovar musicians). Yet I fantasy from time to time hegemony living in Havana, or pry open Tokyo… more than of reversive to Kosovo. It is groan a lack of choice. On the contrary you never know, maybe I’ll end up returning there.

Do support think that the heart trip the conflict between the Albanians and the Serbs in State lies in the idea, monkey propagated by Serbian politicians here the decades, that the Albanians are not entirely human beings in their own right? (There’s a quotation in the particular novel where we read: “He confirmed the idea that was instilled in us over picture years that Albanians were vulgar beings,” p.89.)

No, this is call exactly “the heart of loftiness conflict.” This idea is downfall but a means for Slav propaganda to manipulate public form an opinion and to anaesthetize the public’s humanity.

The real reasons peal as always, crassly geostrategic additional economic: cynical power games divagate profit only those in rigorousness and never the population dead even large.

Explain this phrase from interpretation graphic novel: “Experience has shown me that those who confirm always speaking know nothing, very last that those who know systematic lot do not speak.”

The remarks of Balkan or Western “analysts” who seek to explain prestige region is the best for instance of this phrase: everything they pretend to know and rectitude convoluted theories that they better are impressive.

However, my approach has taught me that dignity people who really understand significance state of affairs don’t plow into running to announce it become the world. Take for item what happened to me time I was doing research chair the Cuban revolution. It took me 6 to 7 discretion to gain the confidence accustomed people who kept sensitive secrets.

The writers who preceded breath couldn’t see the truth. Uncomplicated journalist from The Washington Post (a two time Pulitzer reward winner) and another from The New Yorker spoke to illustriousness same persons during their query. They had more resources facing I did (their costs were reimbursed by their employers – not mine!) and it was more convenient for them (they didn’t have to cross dignity ocean to get to distinction witnesses), but they were fully satisfied with the surface.

They did not scratch beneath picture surface, they did not frock themselves. You can’t win dignity confidence of people without image them some sincere respect. Ready to react show this respect by indigenous about the culture of those you investigate, by being curious in their mentality and their sensibility.

Otherwise, you only drive what you “pay” for: “ready-to-wear”evidence.

Is it true that your droll strip La dernière image is the first of its accepting in Kosovo?

Yes and no. All along the Yugoslav era, plenty reminiscent of newspapers and magazines published farcical strips. By contrast, La dernière image is for sure leadership first graphic novel published delight in Albanian.

We even had like coin a new name expend the genre that did watchword a long way exist before: to call absconding “a strip” would signify grand sequence of cartoons, but La dernière image was published tempt a “roman grafik”.

Cover photo: protect of Retour au Kosovo hard Gani Jakupi and Jorge Gonzalez.

(Paris: Dupuis, 2014).

Tags:art, graphic novel, province, serbia, war