TIRANA, June 1 – Actor of Albanian origin Bekim Fehmiu was born on June 1, 1936 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He studied film at the University of Belgrade between 1956 and 1960. He later built an international career through films such as “Odyssey” and “The Feather Collectors”. These works placed him among major figures of world cinema.
He became the first Albanian film and theatre actor to perform successfully across the former Yugoslavia. He also worked in Hollywood during the Cold War, becoming one of the first actors from Southeast Europe to reach that stage. He performed in multiple languages, including Albanian, Macedonian, Serbian, Turkish, Spanish, French, English and Italian.
In addition, Fehmiu delivered major performances in films such as “Special Trial”, “Odyssey”, “The Adventurer”, “The Road”, “Hot Years” and “The Deserter”.
He collaborated with major international film figures, including Ava Gardner, Robert Shaw, John Huston, Dirk Bogarde, Irene Papas and Claudia Cardinale.
Later, he revisited Albania in 1972. He married Branka Petric and had two sons. He passed away on June 15, 2010 at the age of 74.
/a.p./
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