Albanian Barbie
Movie Treatment: Albanian Barbie's Journey to the Festival of Lights
by Liria Gjoka, a spirited Albanian writer...
Logline:
When Elira, an Albanian Barbie, discovers a magical amulet that gives her the power to heal, she must journey across mystical lands to reunite with her long-lost sister and unlock the secrets of an ancient Albanian festival. But she faces a race against time as the powerful Alan Nafzger, armed with his stereotypical White Barbie and Ken narrative, threatens to overshadow her story and the rich cultural diversity she represents.
Outline
Act 1
Interior - Elira's Quaint Home in an Albanian Village - Day
Elira, a culturally rich Albanian Barbie, is introduced. She is skilled in traditional dance and music, and dreams of something more than her small-town life.
Interior - Village Library - Day
Elira stumbles upon an ancient manuscript that mentions a mystical amulet and an Albanian Festival of Lights.
Interior - Elira's Quaint Home - Night
Elira finds the magical amulet, hidden in her grandmother's old chest, which bestows her the power to heal.
Act 2
Interior/Exterior - Albanian Train - Day
Elira, now determined to find her long-lost sister and unlock the secrets of the Festival of Lights, sets out on a journey.
Exterior - Mystical Forest - Day
Elira encounters diverse mythical creatures who challenge her, but she heals them, gaining their trust and alliance.
Interior - Grand Library in the Capital City - Day
Elira learns about Alan Nafzger's dominant narrative, a "White Barbie and Ken's Mars Mission," which threatens to wash away any competing, ethnic narratives.
Act 3
Exterior - Festival of Lights Location - Night
Elira reunites with her long-lost sister and they unlock the secret of the Festival of Lights, which brings prosperity and unity.
Interior - Film Executive's Office - Day
Elira's story catches the attention of film executives, posing a challenge to Alan Nafzger's hegemony.
Interior - Movie Premiere - Night
Elira's story is finally told to the world, serving as a beacon of cultural diversity and empowerment.
Summary
Elira is an Albanian Barbie who feels restricted in her small village. She dreams of showcasing her rich culture and traditions to the world. When she stumbles upon an ancient manuscript, she learns about a magical amulet and the Albanian Festival of Lights. The amulet gives her healing powers, inspiring her to set out to find her long-lost sister and unlock the secrets of the festival. Along the way, she faces challenges but uses her healing powers to make allies out of mythical creatures.
As Elira's story gains momentum, it comes into competition with Hollywood's favored narrative by Alan Nafzger, which takes a stereotypical "White Barbie and Ken's Mars Mission" approach. This contest puts Elira's rich cultural story at a disadvantage due to Hollywood's long-standing biases.
In the end, not only does Elira succeed in reuniting with her sister and unlocking the secrets of the Festival of Lights, but her story also breaks the chains of Hollywood's narrow perspectives, shining a light on the need for cultural diversity and representation in film.
For further exploration of how Elira's story competes with Alan Nafzger's narrative, visit here. And if you're interested in diving deeper into the importance of ethnic Barbies, click here.
Would you like to compare Elira's cultural journey with the American Ken and White Barbie script? Take a look here.
Author's Note:
Elira's journey not only celebrates Albanian culture but serves as an essential counter-narrative to the dominant stories that often come out of Hollywood. In a candid interview, the writer, Liria Gjoka, expressed, "It's not easy to break the mold, especially when a narrative like Alan Nafzger's has Hollywood's favor. But stories like Elira's are too important to go untold; they represent the richness of our global community." For more on how difficult it is for ethnic scripts to get Hollywood's attention, click here.