Margarita Xhepa is an Icon of Albanian Cinema, and in the same time one of the great ladies of the Albanian theater.
She was honored with the highest title “People’s Artist”!
Born on April 2, 1934, in Lushnja, this city, which has produced artists in all fields of art such as: Vace Zela, Vath Koreshi, Ilia Shyti, Kristaq Dhamo, Ferial Alibali, Visar Zhiti, Pavlina Mani and others.
She was a little girl when the constellation of theater and stage artists such as Kujtim Spahiovogli, Kadri Roshi, Naim Frasheri, Pjeter Gjoka, Loro Kovaci were the ones who teased the dreams of Margarita Xhepa years ago. And this made her not separated from art.
People’s Artist, Margarita Xhepa has a wide range of roles on the stage of the National Theater and in Albanian cinematography. From 1950, she became active as a “probist” artist at the “Popular Theater” (today the National Theatre) and at the same time studied at the Artistic Lyceum, Drama Branch.
Xhepa has created over 150 roles in the theater, among which we can mention: Majlinda in “Majlinda” (Xh. Broja), Dafina in “Dead River” (dramatization by K. Velça of the novel with the same title by Jakov Xoxa), Filja in “Cuca e maleve” (Loni Papa), Mrs. Mother in “Who brought Doruntina” (dramatization by Edmond Budina and Pirro Mani of the novel with the same title by Ismail Kadare), Mother “In front of yourself” (Ruzhdi Pulaha) etc.
Margarita Xhepa has been equally successful in world dramaturgy roles, such as Ophelia in “Hamlet”, Second Daughter in “King Lear”, Nanny in “Romeo and Juliet”, Queen Margaret in “Richard III”, by Shakespeare.
In other roles from world dramaturgy, Klea stands out in “The Fox and the Grapes” (Figueredo), Lena in “Uncle Vanya” (Chekhov), Lady Milford in “Louise Miller” (Shiler), Miss Berling in “The Inspector’s Visit” (Priestley), Mrs. Lomen in “The Death of a Commissioner” (A. Miller), Anna Andreyevna in “The Auditor” (Gogol), Marsela in “The Gardener’s Dog” (De Vega), Mashenka in “Mashenka” (Afigenov), Sheyla in “The morality of Mrs. Dulska” (Zapolska), or Nanny to “Elektra” by Sophocles, under the direction of the Greek director Dhimitri Mavrikis, at the National Theater of Greece, in Athens.
In addition to roles in theater, she has also performed 32 roles in cinematography, working with most Albanian directors.
With K. Dhamon, shoots “The first years” and “Traces”, with I. Muçaj and K. Mitro “The last winter”, “Bloody land”, “A boy and a girl” and “Apassionata”, with Viktor Gjika , “General gramophone”, with E. Musliu, “Circle of memory” and “Years of waiting” (E. Musliu), and “Warm hand”, with Dhimitër Anagnosti, “The stones of my house”, other movies like “Spring did not come alone”, “Concert in 1936”, “Last Sunday” and “Dear Enemy”.
In 1997, Xhepa performed in the Greek film “Farewell” (director J. Koras, K. Vupuras). The film won the Grand Prize at the International Mediterranean Film Festival in Thessaloniki, while Margarita Xhepa won the Honorary Prize.
In May 2004, she returned to the stage of the National Theatre, to shine in the drama “Shelter of the Forgotten”, another success in her 50-year career.
Filmography
1. In search of whom (2011), TV Series
2. The sound of silence – (2010) telenovela
3. Palace No. 7 –
4. Provincial chronicle – (2009)
5. We and Lenin – (2008) – Elisabeta Bali
6. Dear Enemy – (2004) – Grandma
7. Goodbye – (1997)
8. Last Sunday – (1993) – Wife
9. “A Boy and a Girl – (1990), teacher Kristina
10. Years of waiting – (1990) – .Mother
11. Who brought Doruntina (1989) theater-drama, mother of Kostandin and Doruntina
12. Spring did not come alone – (1988 ) – Irene’s mother
13. The mission across the sea – (1988) – Kristulla, Andrea’s wife
14. The circle of memory – (1987) – Tefta
15. Difficult start – (1986)-The doctor, the director of the ambulance
16. The mistake – (1986) – Teacher
17. The stones of my house – (1985) – Lilo Mertiri
18. Militanti – (1984) – Visar’s mother
19. Apassionata – (1983) – Artur’s mother
20. Warm hand – (1983) – Besim`s Mother
21. Friends – (1982) – Genci`s Mother
22. The first day of Appointed – (1981) – Drita
23. With the step of friends – (1979) (TV) – Vera
24. The toast of my wedding – (1978) – Mother of the bride
25. The Third – (1978) Wife of Qazim Beluli
26 – Gramophone General – (1978) – Wife of the Vice-Prefect
27. Concert in 1936 (1978) – Eleni Jankollari
28. The Last Winter – (1976) – Shanua
29. Forest of freedom – (1976) – Katerina Zaka, Vlashi’s mother
30. Bloody land – (1976) Sandra, Miti’s wife
31. The General of Dead Army – 1972)
32. Footprint – ( 1970) – Artan’s wife
33. The first years – (1965) – Zyraka Minga
THEATER
03/04/1952 — “Revizori” by Nikolai Gogol – (Ana Andrejevna) 03/11/1957 — “Kremlin Clocks” by N. Pogodin
03/02/1958 — “Majlinda” by Xhemal Broja. – (Majlinda)
21/06/1958 — “Mashenka” by Afigenov – (Mashenka)
21/03/1959 — “On the other side” by Baranov
24/06/1960 — “Hamlet” by Shakespeare – (Ophelia)
04/02/1961 — “The Prodigal Son” by E. Rane
06/22/1961 — “Fox and Grapes” by Guilherme Figueiredo-(Klea)
11/27/1961 — “The Good Brave with Many Friends” by S.Pitarka
27/09/1962 — Zapolska’s “Morals of Mrs. Dulska” – (Shejla)
01/09/1963 — “The Gardener’s Dog” by Lope De Vega- (Marsela)
01/23/ 1964 — “Carnivals of Korça” by Spiro Çomorra
27/04/1964 — “Uncle Vanya” by AP Chekhov – (Lena)
30/07/1965 — “King Lear” by Shakespeare – (Second Daughter)
29/ 06/1966 — “Three rifle shots” by Ibrahim Uruç
03/07/1967 — “Cuca e maleve” by Loni Papa- (Filja)
09/17/1967 — “Fiery land” by Drita Agolli
04/ 03/1968 — “Great impassable wall” by Xhan – Huan
04/03/1971 — “Arturo Ui” by Bertold Brecht
30/10/1971 — “Viti ’61” by Fadil Paçrami
24/01/1973 — “Red signal” by Bashkim Kozel
03/07/1974 — “Our land” by Kola Jakova
18/12/1974 — “Together with the dawn” by Kola Jakova
11/05/1976 — “The dead river ” by Kudret Velça.- (Dafina)
18/03/1979 — “Luiza Miller” by Schiller – (Lady Milford)
25/10/1980 — “The Inspector’s Visit” by Priestley – (Mrs. Bering)
16/10/ 1981 — “Communists” by Ruzhdi Pulaha. – (Ija)
12/11/1983 — “In front of yourself” by Ruzhdi Pulaha – (Mother)
21/03/1984 — “Prometheus” by Viktor Eftimiu
26/10/1985 — “General of the dead army” by Piro Manit
25/05/1986 — “Death of a Commissioner” by A.Miller-(Ms. Lomen)
12/09/1987 — “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare
16/02/1989 — “Who brought Doruntina” by Piro Mani & E. Budina
09/1992 — “Richard the Third” by Shakespeare- (Queen Margaret)
14/05/2005 — “How I defeated Mussolini” by Aqif Mulliqi
25/12/2008 — “Trojans” by Euripides
27/03/2010 — “Electra” by Sophocles – (Nurse)
Other shows: “The dead brother’s trust” – (Doruntina) ; “Oedipus” by Sophocles; “Six Years Pregnant”; “The Beautiful Queen”; Chekhov’s “Swan” – (Nadjezhna); “The Cursed Guest” – (The Strange Woman); “Forgotten”
Awards and Titles
“People’s Artist” – “Honour of the Nation” – “Great Master of Art” January 22, 2007 – “Honorary Citizen” of the City of Struga.
2007 – Special Award for the interpretation of the role of Nadezhna in the monodrama “The Swan” by Chekhov.
1997 – Honorary Award for her performance in the film “Farewell” at the International Mediterranean Film Festival held in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1997.
First Award for her performance as Clea in Aesop’s “The Fox and the Grapes” at the First Theater Festival.
Passed away on 3. April 2025
Published for the first time in 2013 on the Albanian Cinematography – Facebook Page and reviewed from time to time in the following years.
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Albanian Cinematography in activity since 2013
Reference: Web. Albanian online newspaper and various forums
2002 – 2013.
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