Cinematic legacy: the role of Albanian communist films on post-communist generations’ perceptions of the regime

Films play a significant role in shaping people’s perceptions and understanding of history and political regimes, particularly in societies undergoing transition. Used as a means of propaganda during the communist regime, Communist-era films remain an important cultural reference of the past and a domestic source of entertainment. Exploring this influence and situating the findings within a broader discussion on nostalgia and the media, this article seeks to understand the impact of Albanian communist-era films in shaping the perceptions of individuals born after the fall of communism about the regime. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from focus-group discussions and a mass survey, this study finds that while communist-era films evoke feelings of nostalgia and emotional responses in its audience, family accounts and other sources of information play a more significant role in shaping these perceptions.