Albania's place in the sun

A film by Ingolf Gritschneder | 2020 | arte

arte re:

Just as 26-year-old Bruno Papaj is setting up his own company in his home country, Albania, the Corona crisis and the resulting economic downturn hit the country. This story is representative for many young entrepreneurs working under difficult conditions in Eastern Europe. Despite a successful transfer of education and know-how into the country, up until now, young Albanians do not have a lot of hope for the future. But there is renewed hope for Albania.

Bruno Papaj was 19, when he came to Bonn. He learned German and studied electrical engineering in Aachen, together with Phillip Koronowski from Düsseldorf. The young men bonded over their love of football, their interest in photovoltaics and their drive to become entrepreneurs. Soon they decided to start a business together. But where should they do it? Germany seemed too competitive for the young duo, so why not Albania? The country enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year, but that alone does not guarantee success. Unlike Bruno, many young Albanians leave their country and want to start a life in Germany or other EU countries. This is also true for some of Bruno’s friends, who want to make their way abroad, despite Corona.