photographed in his appartment in Durres

Born on May 23, 1935, in Lushnjë, Gëzim Çela was imprisoned three times by the communist regime for political reasons. His father, Mahmut Çela, a former prefect of Durrës, fled Albania in 1944 and settled in the United States, leaving Gëzim and his family to endure severe hardships. Gëzim completed high school in Durrës in 1956 but was arrested in October 1957. He was accused of attempting to escape Albania and sentenced to 16 years in prison, later reduced to 12 years through an amnesty. After his release in 1964, he faced continued persecution, spending five years in internment in Manzë.

On January 8, 1971, Gëzim was arrested again, this time accused of agitation and propaganda. Among the charges were praising life in Western countries and publicly displaying a photograph of his father from distant Canada, reinforcing the accusations of anti-communist propaganda. In 1973, Gëzim participated in the Spaç Prison Revolt and was sentenced to an additional 12 years. He was released in 1984, having served a total of 20 years, 2 months, and 28 days in prison.

Gëzim Çela was the author of two books, Klithma e një nëne (A Mother’s Cry, 2006) and Nga burgu i Spaçit te varri i Kennedy-t (From Spaç Prison to Kennedy’s Grave, 2010), and he published over 25 articles in the Albanian press.

He passed away during the preparation of this exhibition, on July 22, 2024