What I Have Learned
The biggest lesson I’ve learned from Albania Unfiltered is that an entire generation cannot be defined by one story. Young Albanians have very different backgrounds, experiences, ambitions, and opinions, often leading to completely different perspectives on the same issues.
Two interviews in particular drove home this realization. Jonas approached nearly every question with optimism, focusing on Albania's economic growth rather than its shortcomings. Having an economist for a father, he seemed particularly interested in the country's economic development. When discussing the proposed investment on Sazan Island, he provided a clear argument for its potential benefits, one that genuinely made me question my previous opposition to the project.
On the other hand, Andres was deeply critical of the government, describing the prime minister in particularly harsh terms and expressing his determination to leave Albania permanently. Although their views were almost entirely opposed, I found myself agreeing with parts of both of their arguments. Additionally, their contrasting perspectives made me increasingly interested in how family backgrounds and personal experiences might shape political beliefs.
My conversation with a girl named Sindi reinforced this curiosity. She passionately opposed the Sazan Island development, partly on historical grounds, but struggled to explain that history when I asked her to elaborate. I began to realize that strongly held political opinions were not always accompanied by equally developed explanations. Rather than simply recording what people believed, I became more interested in asking why they believed it.
I also learned that pride and criticism were not necessarily contradictory, and that young Albanians could be deeply attached to their country while disagreeing about its future. Many interviewees professed to love Albania while being frustrated by limited opportunities, corruption, or other challenges. Their views sometimes even contradicted one another, showing how complex someone’s relationship with their country can be.
Finally, I learned how to listen seriously to people whose opinions differed from my own, in turn changing how I saw my own identity. I could spend hours discussing ideas I disagreed with without dismissing the person who expressed them. Growing up between Spain and Albania had given me a particular perspective on the country, but these interviews reminded me how much I still had to learn about it. I began Albania Unfiltered hoping to understand what young Albanians thought about their country; I finished it far more interested in understanding how they had come to think that way.