Children of the Eagles - Melanie Pyne

"Children of the Eagles" is a reference to the literal translation of Shqiptar, a term used interchangeably by Albanians in reference to the true name of their country "Shqipëri" or Land of the Eagles. The series documents the older population in the streets of Tirana, Durrës, Çeprat and Vloré.

Little is known of the country of Albania, in part due to ignorance and historical alienation. A fateful blend of isolationism and Stalinist-like authoritarianism under Enver Hoxha kept the Balkan country the poorest and most repressive in all of Europe. This project attempts to document the generations who grew up under the rise and fall of the communist regime of 1945-1991 as they navigate the liminal space of a new, modernising Albania.