Artan Minarolli says: “My film isn’t about killing and getting killed; it is instead born out of the need to show the colors and the complexity of a world in transition towards something mysterious and beautiful.” The struggle between tradition and modernity is a common theme in dozens of artworks every year. One generation’s desire for forward momentum that is stifled by the old guard is something that is not unique to any one part of the world; it is one of our universal fights. In [Alive!], carefree university student Koli is the physical representation of one such struggle in Albania. When Koli discovers he is the sole remaining family member held responsible for a 60-year-old murder, his first reaction is negotiation and diplomacy?the modern reaction of an educated man. But tradition proves stubborn, and Koli is drawn into an old world blood feud. Minarolli deals with ambitious themes emerging in the post-communist nation, and ponders why forward momentum is so difficult in the face of change.