Workers Wings
Injured workers look back at us with lives marked by hardship and uncertainty. What do they feel? What hopes remain? What future awaits them? Every line on their faces tells a story shaped by labour, struggle, and survival. Above them hangs a system marked by danger, inequality, and injustice.
Ilir Hasanaj is a filmmaker with roots in both Kosovo and Switzerland. A graduate of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), he creates socially engaged documentaries that explore identity, labour, and community.
His film me dasht’ me dasht’ me dasht’ screened at major international festivals including Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Solothurn Film Festival, and DokuFest, where it won the Audience Award. In 2024, his short film Workers’ Wings received the prestigious Tiger Short Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Alongside filmmaking, Ilir is deeply involved in cultural and educational initiatives. In 2018, he co-founded Kino ARMATA, a community-driven cinema and cultural space in Prishtina. He also leads the NeoSchool Documentary School and collaborates with the Kino Kosova Film Festival in Switzerland as a programmer and moderator, promoting dialogue through film and cultural exchange.
