In the poignant video-film *303* by choreographer Gentian Doda, actress Rosella Pelicioti performs a haunting waltz in the former Spaç prison, using a wooden chair as her partner. The dance, marked by pain and vulnerability, symbolizes the suffocating weight of fear and anxiety endured by the political prisoners under Albania’s communist regime. The empty table in the scene symbolizes the absurdity of life in Spaç, where happiness was impossible and belonging relative. At the end of the dance, Pelicioti leaves the chair, signaling the escape from the false comfort of the past.

*303* aims to express the suffering, longing, and violence that accompanied life in the Spaç labor camp, deep in the mountains of Mirdita. The film opens with a woman walking 7 kilometers to visit her imprisoned loved one, with a man’s silhouette watching from the hill above. In subsequent scenes, the woman waits in a visitation room, her isolation accentuated by men with masked faces. These veiled figures reflect the dehumanization imposed by the communist regime, which sought to erase individuality and create a “new man.” The film also depicts the harsh conditions in the mines and the silent screams of the prisoners, emphasizing the darkness of that era.

The woman and the man never meet throughout the film, conveying the anxiety of their parallel lives, constantly influenced by each other but never touching. The atmosphere of fear and waiting is captured through subtle body movements, breaths, and sighs. Doda’s intent is to show the pain of Albania’s past, not through words but through visual silence, allowing the audience to form their own perception of the horrors.

Doda collaborated with “Te Bunkeri,” a social innovation initiative, to create the film, supported by the European Union’s “EU for Culture” program. The film is part of a broader effort to help Albania confront its past and preserve the stories of survivors. Ambassador Silvio Gonzato of the EU praised the resilience of former political prisoners, stating that their voices and stories must be heard for justice.

The *303* project, which also includes an exhibition of portraits of the former prisoners, aims to raise awareness of Spaç’s tragic history and its role in shaping Albania’s painful past, while contributing to the country’s socio-economic recovery through cultural initiatives.