Pëllumb Kulla

Pëllumb Kulla
Personal details
Born	Zëmblak, Albania
Spouse	Xhuljeta Strumi
Children	Era Kulla Makoci, Fllad Kulla, Ditbardh Kulla
Education	Faculty of Stage Art at the Institute of High Arts (now the Albanian Academy of Arts)
Occupation	9th Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997 Predecessor: Thanas Shkurti Succeded by: Agim Nesho
Profession	Writer, Producer, Publicist

Pëllumb Kulla is a former Albanian diplomat and author.^[1] He served as Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations^[2] from 1993 to 1997.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]}

Pëllumb Kulla, born in Zëmblak, Albania. on January 10, 1940, was an author, director, playwright, comedy writer, satirist, journalist, professor of Stage Arts, Dean of the Faculty of Stage Art (Academy of Arts, University of Tirana), and a recipient of the Presidential Order "Grand Master of the Arts". He also served as a diplomat, holding the position of Secretary for Culture and Press at the Embassy of Albania in Bonn (Germany) and then later appointed as the Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997.

As an author, he wrote more than 31 published titles. In his major works, the communist ordeal of Albania is portrayed with an interesting perspective and a sharp satirical angle. Kulla was a stage director in the Fier Theater. With Kulla's directorial and writing contribution the Fier Theater was catapulted to be one of the top theaters in the country. He wrote the libretto and directed fifteen performances, which enduring national success. During this time, he wrote over 300 sketches and one-act comedies, 40 couplets, and 23 monologues, most of which were featured on Albanian Radio and Television. His extensive writing contributions for the stage are found in seven volumes, published under the joint title "Theater, This Game of Magic," financed by the Municipality of Fier.

Early life

The place where Pëllumb Kulla was born, during the time of his birth, was under the occupation of Mussolini's fascist Italians. However, it was not a war situation at that time. The next occupiers were Hitler's Germans, displaced in Albania for geopolitical reasons in the final acts of World War II. A local movement against them was more mobilized to claim credit for Liberation than for the country's liberation. Therefore, the possession of the liberating country ignited more conflicts among locals than the battle against Hitler's hordes, who had begun to call and gather their battered divisions in Germany.

1940-1950 - In the Birthplace Village: In the village of his birth, the family experienced the harsh persecution of the young authorities with executions and imprisonment in the nearby area. Among those executed was the paternal grandfather, Rrapo Kulla, who was executed on October 2, 1945. Among the many imprisoned from the Kulla clan, Pëllumb's uncle Ridvan suffered behind bars.

1951-1964 - Education: The family moved to Tirana, where Pëllumb Kulla continued and completed higher education after facing persecution. After obtaining a diploma from the Technical High School ("7 Nëntori" Polytechnic), he faced numerous challenges to continue university studies. The turning point came with a chance encounter with the country's leader, dictator Enver Hoxha, on April 10, 1960. The young man, persistent in his pursuit, confronted the Dictator as he walked accompanied by factory workers from the "Enver" Factory. Fortunately, the dictator was in a good mood and listened attentively to the 20-year-old Kulla. He assured him that no one would hinder him anymore. This encounter became one of the key events in his life. Pëllumb Kulla rejoiced in the exemption from the rule and pursued higher education at the newly established Faculty of Stage Art at the Institute of High Arts (now the Academy of Arts), founded by educators who came down from Moscow. After him, none of his siblings or anyone else from the extended family, with many executed, could pursue higher education.

1964–1972 - Difficult Years in Vlorë: After graduation, Kulla was assigned to the new theater in the southern city. He was appointed as the stage director of the comic troupe of that institution. This somewhat privileged appointment, despite apparent success, lasted very briefly. The original immunity granted by the Dictator was not stronger than the bureaucracy of sectoral officials. The young artist was excluded from the ranks of other local artists.

1972–1990 - Personality Formation, Early Successes: With the help of friends and admirers, Pëllumb Kulla managed to approach the stage again. He excelled in short genres of humor in the theater and television, and later in full stage works and publications. His pedagogical skills were notable, and many talents found valuable support in his productions. There was noticeable collaboration with distinguished creators across the country, and many of their creations found a place and were staged in Fier. The author's pen brought literary richness, making Kulla one of the country's prominent directors. The theatrical pieces, both miniatures and full-length, found acceptance and popularity throughout Albanian territories, within and beyond borders. The so-called "class" background, with significant roles, stemming from an anti-communist origin, did not hinder Pëllumb Kulla's fearless exploration and expression of his worldview. This period coincided with the complete collapse of the dictatorial system in Albania. From 1977 to 1990, Kulla was a permanent collaborator with the Albanian Radio and Television (TVSH) for the New Year's show. In 1987, he was awarded the "Naim Frashëri" Order. Parallel to his work in the Variety, he realized ten dramatic productions, all dramas or comedies written by him, winning awards at the National Theater Festival. In the '80s, Kulla's humor was also sought after in cinema. He wrote the scripts for the film comedies "Violin Strings" and "Chairs in the Park," not to mention his engagement as an author and director of television medium-length scripts on the state television.

Meanwhile, in literature, another contribution of Kulla is the translation of renowned authors such as Pirandello, Chekhov, Gogol, De Maupassant, Buzzatti, etc.

In 1990, he left Fier to start working as an educator and later became the Dean of the Faculty of Stage Art in Tirana. His pedagogical career did not last long as it was replaced by a diplomatic one.

Diplomatic activity

In 1992, Pëllumb Kulla became involved in the post-communist state's diplomatic structures. Initially appointed as Secretary for Culture and Press at the Embassy of Albania in Bonn, a position held during the initial months of the newly unified Germany's capital. A year later, he was elevated to the rank of Ambassador to the Albanian Mission to the United Nations, based in New York, USA (1993-1997). During this international governance, the focus was on the Independence of the second Albanian state, Kosovo, and the tumultuous events in the infamous history of pyramid schemes in post-Enverist Albania, governed by inexperienced officials. During this period, the UN was heavily engaged in managing the situation in the Balkans. Subsequently, from New York, the international military intervention in the troubled region was ordered.

Books by Pëllumb Kulla

• LIPE SHTOGU IS IN THE LIST," short plays for stage and TV (1980)
• "COMRADE NIQIFOR," comedy (1980)
• "PORTRAITS WITHOUT MAKEUP," stories and scenic miniatures (1984)
• "MALO'S WEDDING" miniatures (1986)
• "ADVICE FOR CHILDREN FROM 5 TO 55 YEARS OLD," stories (1989)
• "SKENDER SALLAKU: HOW WE LAUGHED UNDER DICTATORSHIP," Essay (2002)
• "TALES OF AMERICA," novel (2003)
• "THE STORKS SHALL NEVER RETURN" novel (2005)
• "THE INVASION OF AMERICA" selected stories (2005)
• "THEATER, THIS ENCHANTING GAME," volumes from the magic stage (2007)
• "THE DEATH OF ENVER HOXHA," many novels in one (2008)
• "A BRIDE IS ABDUCTED IN NEW YORK," selected stories (2012)
• "NOT ALL THE DEAD REST IN PEACE," autobiography (2012)
• "ENDLESS WAR," selected publicistic writings (2013)
• "THEATER, THIS ENCHANTING GAME – volumes 4, 5, 6, 7 (2011-19)
• "HANDS AND KNIVES," drama (2018)
• "MY DREAMY RINA," comedy (2018)
• "THE DICTATORSHIP OF MONEY," satirical selection (2020)
• "I, THE TROUBLEMAKER," satirical selection (2021)

Writings for stage

Full-length Plays:

• "A Light Won't Let Me Sleep" (1966)
• "The Mad Island" (1967 – 1992)
• "The Wolf of the Fairytale" (1972 – 1990)
• "Comrade Niqifor" (1979)
• "Two Gunshots in Paris" (1980)
• "Snowflakes in April" (1984)
• "Many Dry Leaves That Autumn!" (1989)
• "Beautiful Old House" (1989)
• "The Log" (2003)
• "The Millionaire" (2010)
• "Someone Has to Die" (2011)
• "The House of the Endless Yesterday" (2013)
• "My Dreamy Rina" (2018)
• "Hands and Knives" (2018)

One-act Plays:

• "Lipe Shtogu" (1970)
• "Airplanes and Counterfeits" (1972)
• "The Long Sleep" (1977-1996)
• "Fleeing Ministers" (1980)
• "Asaf Lala Wants to Resign" (1980)
• "New Telephone at Home" (1981)
• "Woman on a Business Trip" (1985)
• "The First Prize" (1986)
• "The Watermelon Seeds" (1987)

Filmography

• "Kanan Needs an Eye" (2001)
• "Strings for a Violin"
• "Benches in the Park"

References

External links

• "Kulla, Pellumb 1940- [WorldCat Identities]". WorldCat.