My name is Nicolas Ballta. Although Albania has always been part of my identity—my mother is Spanish and my father is Albanian-American—moving from Madrid to Tirana, Albania’s capital, at the age of 16 made me realize that knowing you are Albanian and actually understanding everyday life in Albania are two very different things.

 

Albania Unfiltered is an interview project I created to understand how people in Albania see their country, identity, and future. Rather than explaining Albania from a single point of view, I wanted to listen directly to the young people who live here.

 

For many months, I interviewed mainly Albanian teens, discussing identity, opportunity, tradition, education, everyday life, emigration, corruption, and their hopes for Albania’s future.

 

The goal is not to present one answer about Albania, but to share different perspectives from the younger generation and let them speak for themselves.