Set in Kosovo, THE MARRIAGE follows engaged couple Anita and Bekim in the weeks leading up to their wedding, and the planning that goes along with it, Out of nowhere, Bekim’s old friend and past lover Nol shows up to visit Bekim before his big day, letting him know that his love for him still exists. Though the film is called THE MARRIAGE because of Anita and Bekim’s wedding, the true love story within is a forbidden one in Kosovo between the two male leads who are hiding a relationship which began during their time in the war.

The film does an excellent job of creating tension through supressing their love: most memorable are the scenes between the three on a night out during conversations between Anita and Nol. Anita, under the false belief that Nol has just gotten out of a heterosexual relationship, encourages him to chase after someone if he truly loved them – all while Bekim sits in the middle of it all. The three main characters are amazing: Adriana Matoshi as Anita, the fiance who never notices the tension between the two; and Alban Ujak (Bekim) and Genc Salihu (Nol), who have an amazing chemistry that works well in such an oppressed setting.

The editing would be the most notable distraction from the overall film. At its worst, the pace at which it cuts can disturb the flow: jump cutting even the simplest actions such as putting on clothes. However regardless of the few issues that may be seen, the film is one that deserves to be told, shedding light on the oppressed LGBT community in Kosovo which can also be found in many other countries with similar viewpoints. We see issues dealing with sexuality in the film through various scenes throughout such as Bekim himself turning away his bar to be used as a LGBT event, and Nol being attacked at night. Blerta Zegiri’s THE MARRIAGE is a story that is worth telling and can be seen as a lot more than just a film.