Two Lions to Venice

{{Infobox film

| name = Two Lions to Venice

| image = Two Lions to Venice poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Jonid Jorgji

| producer = Elkjana Gjipali
Jonid Jorgji

| writer = Jonid Jorgji

| starring = Natalia De Maria

| cinematography = Petros Antoniadis

| editing =

| music =

| studio =

| distributor =

| released = {{film date|2021|06|08|df=yes}}

| runtime = 95 minutes

| country = Albania
Czech Republic
Italy
United Kingdom

| language = Albanian
Italian

| budget =

}}

Two Lions to Venice ({{langx|sq|Luanët Drejt Venecias}}) is a 2021 Albanian comedy drama film directed and written by Jonid Jorgji. It was Albania's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, but it was not one of the finalists.

Plot

Kaci and Vani, two old Albanian filmmakers, are on their way to the Venice Film Festival, where Vani is set to give a speech. On the way they meet Lola and Irina, two porn stars that are dressed as nuns. Vani meets his daughter in Italy and learns that she is a porn actress after thinking that she was at college.

Cast

Natalia De Maria as Lola
Kastriot Çaushi as Kaçi
Vasjan Lami as Vani
Alessandra Bonarotta as Ginevra

Production

Produced by companies from Albania, Italy, United Kingdom, Greece, and the Czech Republic,{{sfn|Velija|2021}} Two Lions to Venice was written and directed by Jonid Jorgji.{{sfn|Saracini|2022}} The film was dedicated to Jorgji's mentor Gjergj Xhuvani, who died in 2019.{{sfn|Hoxhaj|2022}} Financial support was provided by Qendra Kinematografike e Kosovës.{{sfn|SOT|2021}}

Filming took place over the course of 20 days in Albania and Venice.{{sfn|Hoxhaj|2022}} As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, scenes that were meant to be shot in Italy were instead shot outside of Tirana.{{sfn|Velija|2021}} The cinematography was done by Petros Antoniadis.{{sfn|Cineuropa}}

Release

Two Lions to Venice premiered on 8 June 2021.{{sfn|Business Magazine|2021}} Albania selected Two Lions to Venice as its nominee for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, but it was not one of the finalists. Freestyle to Montenegro by Ardit Sadiku was the only other possible nominee. {{ill|Kastriot Çaushi|sq|Kastriot Çaushi}}, who starred in the film, was a member of the committee that selected Albania's Oscar submission, but declined to vote citing his conflict of interest.{{sfn|Gazeta Si|2021}}

References

Works cited

=News=

{{Cite news |date=25 September 2021 |title=Filmi "Dy Luanë drejt Venecias", kandidatura e Shqipërisë për "Oscar" |work=Gazeta Si |url=https://gazetasi.al/filmi-dy-luane-drejt-venecias-kandidatura-e-shqiperise-per-oscar/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250410002319/https://gazetasi.al/filmi-dy-luane-drejt-venecias-kandidatura-e-shqiperise-per-oscar/ |archive-date=10 April 2025 |ref={{harvid|Gazeta Si|2021}}}}
{{Cite news |date=25 September 2021 |title=Filmi “Dy Luanë drejt Venecias”, me regji nga Jonid Jorgji kandidatura e Shqipërisë për “Oscar” |work=Gazeta Sot |url=https://sot.com.al/kultura/filmi-dy-luane-drejt-venecias-me-regji-nga-jonid-jorgji-kandidatura-e-sh-i465425/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250410005959/https://sot.com.al/kultura/filmi-dy-luane-drejt-venecias-me-regji-nga-jonid-jorgji-kandidatura-e-sh-i465425/ |archive-date=10 April 2025 |ref={{harvid|SOT|2021}}}}
{{Cite news |date=21 May 2021 |title=Jonid Jorgji me filmin e ri në kinema “Dy luanë drejt Venecias”. Jeta mes kinemasë, medias dhe biznesit |work=Business Magazine Albania |url=https://businessmag.al/jonid-jorgji-me-filmin-e-ri-ne-kinema-dy-luane-drejt-venecias-jeta-mes-kinemase-medias-dhe-biznesit/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522002838/https://businessmag.al/jonid-jorgji-me-filmin-e-ri-ne-kinema-dy-luane-drejt-venecias-jeta-mes-kinemase-medias-dhe-biznesit/ |archive-date=22 May 2021 |access-date=21 May 2021 |ref={{harvid|Business Magazine|2021}}}}
{{Cite news |last=Hoxhaj |first=Gili |date=7 January 2022 |title="Two lions towards Venice" with the controversial world in Pristina as well |work=Koha Ditore |url=https://www.koha.net/en/kulture/dy-luane-drejt-venecias-me-boten-kontroverse-edhe-ne-prishtine |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250410001246/https://www.koha.net/en/kulture/dy-luane-drejt-venecias-me-boten-kontroverse-edhe-ne-prishtine |archive-date=10 April 2025}}
{{Cite news |last=Saracini |first=Klotilda |date=15 April 2022 |title=Filmi shqiptar “Dy Luanë drejt Venecias”, shfaqet në Pragë |work=Albanian Telegraphic Agency |url=https://ata.gov.al/2022/04/15/filmi-shqiptar-dy-luane-drejt-venecias-shfaqet-ne-prage/ |url-status=live}}
{{Cite news |last=Velija |first=Kreizia |date=4 June 2021 |title=Regjisori Jonid Jorgji çon “Dy luanë drejt Venecias”! |work=Top Radio |url=https://www.topalbaniaradio.com/regjisori-jonid-jorgji-con-dy-luane-drejt-venecias/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250410001738/https://www.topalbaniaradio.com/regjisori-jonid-jorgji-con-dy-luane-drejt-venecias/ |archive-date=10 April 2025}}

=Web=

{{Cite news |title=Two Lions Heading to Venice |publisher=Cineuropa |url=https://cineuropa.org/film/411261/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250410004706/https://cineuropa.org/film/411261/ |archive-date=10 April 2025 |ref={{harvid|Cineuropa}}}}