Rikard Ljarja (1943-2020) | Portrait of a special artist!

Rikard Ljarja (1943-2020) Actor, director, screenwriter "Deserved Artist" – Colossus of Albanian cinematography! He was born on April 1, 1943 in Shkodër, (in the Skanderbeg neighborhood). He made with love both the director and the screenwriter and the actor. With the humor of a Shkodran, he would say that he had always celebrated his birthday on April 3, due to the very fact that April 1 is known as the day of lies…. and always continuing with his humor, it was shown that he was so popular in Albania during the 70s-80s that when someone asked him how many people were at home, he answered: "Me, the wife, the two children and Rikard Larja" . Within a short period of time, he would become one of the most active and famous actors of the Albanian scene. In 1960, after graduating from high school in Shkodra at the "Jordan Misja" gymnasium, he continued his high school for acting at the Aleksander Moisiu acting school in Tirana, where he graduated in 1965. From this year until 1973, he worked as an actor at the "Migjeni" Theater " of the city of Shkodra, while in 1996-2002 he was the Artistic Director of Albanian Television, after this period he enjoyed his old age pension. His cinematographic career started in 1965 when he devoted himself completely cinematography as an actor, performing very successfully in many films. Although his name has not been mentioned much on the screen after the nineties, before these years, the acting figure of Rikard Ljarje has always been at the center of the screen and the Albanian stage. His portrait was constantly present, both in the cinema and on Albanian television. The famous actor originally from Shkodra, with his interpretation and special portrait, had conquered the cinema screen as well as the television screen. Distinguished not only by his attractive appearance, his vocals, but also by his ability to act, R. Larja has performed about a hundred roles on stage and in cinematography. "Deserved artist", the great actor, whose name has already been engraved forever in the history of Albanian cinema. Immediately after graduating as an actor, his first role in the cinematography comes, where the talented interpretation of this role has opened the way for many other roles. In his first debut, he played the role of the teacher, who was Dritan Shkaba, in the feature film "Commissioner of Light". Then he has another key role in the movie "Silent Duel", that of a sailor (Skender Guri), where he skillfully interprets alongside the great, "People's Artist" Ndrek Luca, a real event turned into a movie. Later, films and other roles followed, since from 1973 to 1996 he performed as an actor in the films "Old Wounds", "Ruge te Barda", "Encounter with Death", "Ilegals", "Radio Station", "Bitter Spring". , "Memory Circle", "White Papers" etc. In 1974 he will professionally interpret another leading role to make him remain in the memory of the Albanian artedash public, that of the filirojtesi, Deda unforgettable in "Ruge te bardha"; As a director, he made the films "Weight of Time", "When the Doors of Life Open", "Hell 43", "Radio Station" etc. As a director, his most successful film remains "When the doors of life open", which was made in 1986, where he was also the author of the script. This film was awarded the "Aleksandër Moisiu" award. It does not matter the philosophy conveyed in those films made under a totalitarian system, the image and characters that Larja left behind have made him remain as one of the unique actors produced by the former giant of those years, Kinostudio. On the one hand, very little is said about Rikard Larjen and the fact that he writes. The man whose portrait we are accustomed to identify immediately as soon as we see him with the film, has another talent, writing. Friends, but also those readers who have read his book, know that Rikardi knows how to write well. During his career, he has produced two film scripts such as "The Weight of Time" in 1988 and "When the Doors of Life Open" in 1986. In his activity during the 2000s, we can mention the one in 2009, "Saint John the Prime Minister" the comedy, directed by Stefan Capaliku, which brings back the actor Rikard Ljarja to the theater stage. In 2012, in the re-dubbing of the new version of the film "Skenderbeu", with contemporary parameters and in literary language, Larja dubs the voice of our national hero. Then, at the beginning of 2013, the Albanians from Mitrovica had the opportunity to see the actor in a wonderful performance of the professional Theater "Petro Marko" of Vlora, which was presented in the city of miners with "Testament" by Ferdinand Hysi, directed by Roland Minges. Larja played here the role of the 100-year-old grandfather, who invites his grandchildren to come to him because he has a testament to say. Rikard Ljarja also writes books such as "Kohe cansh" – Refenja; "We are lost around here"; "A Desolate Place"; In 2018, the book Josifopedia was published by "Mapoedition". Maybe you know a little more, but he was also a musician. We find his name as a composer in the 2nd Song Festival at RTSH with the song "Bregdeti" in v. 1963, sung by Ndreke Gjergji and Bujar Mersini (dubbing). For his acting and directorial merits, he was honored with the title "Artist of deserved". He changed his life after a serious illness at the age of 77, on April 20, 2020 (19 days after celebrating his 77th birthday). According to the bequest left, his body rests in peace in Shkoder at the "Rremajje" cemetery . In the theater "Migjeni": 1. "How steel was ridden" Author: F. Bondarenko. Directed by: Esat Oktrova. Premiere: 30.06.1966 Character: Sepjozha Penzhak. 2. "The chick that harvested the mountains" Author: Loni Papa. Directed by: Mihal Luarasi. Premiere: 11.09.1966 Character: The investigator. 3."The fifth was captured alive" Author: K. Zoraqi Director: Prengë Lëkunda. Premiere: 27.11.1966 Character: Marashi+As/director 4."Bullet in the dowry" Author: Fadil Kraja. Directed by: Serafin Fanko. Premiere: 27.07.1967 Character: Frani. 5. "Events in the factory" Author: Fadil Paçrami. Directed by: Jonuz Dini. Premiere: 13.07.1968 Character: Jashari+ As/ director. 6. "Light" Author: Mimika Luca. Director: Elez Kadria. Premiere: 13.10.1968 Character: Petriti. 7. "Diary of a teacher" Author: Fadil Kraja, Jonuz Dini. Directed by: Jonuz Dini. Premiere: 09.02.1969 Character: Sadiku + As/director. 8. "Slum" Author: Fadil Paçrami. Directed by: Serafin Fanko. Premiere: 10.07.1969 Character: Sazani. 9. "Gallery" Author: Vath Koreshi. Director: Rikard Ljarja. Premiere: 13.07.1969 Character: Andrea. 10. "Signals of the night" Author: Fadil Kraja. Directed by: Violeta Sekuj. Premiere: 30.04.1970 Character: George. 11. "Our land" Author: Kolë Jakova. Directed by: Serafin Fanko. Premiere: 11.11.1970 Character: Leka. 12. "Over the ruins" Author: Fadil Paçrami. Director: Elez Kadria. Premiere: 29.04.1971 Character: Bird. 13." Chrisma on decor" Author: Hilmi Tukaj. Directed by: Serafin Fanko. Premiere: 10.07.1971 Character: Faithful. 14." Year 61" Author: Fadil Paçrami. Directed by: Serafin Fanko. Premiere: 25.11.1971 Character: Petriti. 15. "The dream of the earth" Author: Frederik Rreshpja. Directed by: Violeta Sekuj. Premiere: 20.12.1972 Character: Mari. 16. "Four of the army" Author: Serafin Fanko. Director: Rikard Ljarja. Premiere: 13.07.1968 Character: Gender. 17. "Dramatic concert" (poetic and dramatic montage of different authors) Director: Serafin Fanko. Premiere: 29.03.1973 18. "Mountain chick" (second version) Author: Loni Papa. Director: Elez Kadria. Premiere: 19.05.1973 Character: The investigator. 19. "Saint John the Prime" Author: Stefan Çapaliku. Directed by: Stefan Çapaliku. Premiere: 24.04.2009 Character: John. As an actor: Commissioner of Light – (1966)…….Dritan Vulture Silent Duel – (1967)……….Marinari Skender Guri; Gadhnjim on death – (1967)……Perlati ; Old wounds – (1968)………eng. Naimi; When One Day Dawned – (1971)……..The Commissioner; Star of the long nights – (1972) ……Jandari Consciousness – (1972)………Profitimi; Warpaths – (1974)….Explosion Oars – (1974)…….Engineering; White roads – (1974)…….Deda; Alleys looking for sun – (1975)……..Gaqoja; At the beginning of the summer – (1975)……..One of the leaders of the illegal activists Ilegalët – (1976)………Mr. Tosti.; In the snowy woods there is life – (1978)……Luka; Radio Station – (1979)…….The Commissioner; Sketerre 43 – (1980)………Communist Prisoner Bitter Spring – (1985) ……….Picture; On the verge of life – (1985)………Andrea; The stones of my house – (1985)…….the Italian officer Circle of memory – (1987)….the chief physician; The Weight of Time – (1988)….President White Papers – (1990)……Writer; Victims of Tivari – (1996)…….. Time of the comet – (2008)……episodic role of a villager As a director: The weight of time – (1988) When the doors of life open – (1986) The end of a blood feud – ( 1983) First Name Day – (1981) Sketerre 43 – (1980) Radio Station – (1979) In the Snowy Woods There Is Life – (1978) Two Films as Screenwriter: The Weight of Time – (1988) When the Doors of Life Open – (1986) Date of publication for the first time: in April 2013 on Facebook on the page with the same name and revised in the following years. ________________ Albanian cinematography in activity since 2013 Reference: Texts, writings, various articles from online Albanian websites and newspapers. The photos are the contribution of the administrators of the site.

 Follow us:
Blog: https://albaniancinematography.blogspot.com/
Vimeo:   Albanian Cinematography (vimeo.com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ksh.faqjazyrtare
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/kinetografiashqiptareartisporti
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRYQ5xCyGkfELm3mX8Rhtw