Anibar

Cinema Jusuf Gërvalla, known in the past as "Kino Rad", was built around the 1950s with the purpose of creating a cultural space for the city, serving to screen films and as a meeting point for its citizens for cultural activities. After the war, the cinema was reconstructed with support from donor organisations from Italy and "reopened" in 2001, only to serve as an administrative office for various organisations. The building is now a listed historical monument on the National Cultural Heritage list.

In 2010, a group of young arts activists started the Anibar International Animation Festival, giving a boost to Peja's cultural scene. During the seven days of the festival, thousands visit Peja, hundreds of films are shown, and numerous workshops and other activities are held. Since the festival was the only cultural initiative in the city, and the need for a cultural centre became clear, the team behind Anibar attempted to take over the cinema in order to create an all-year-round programme.

In 2016, Anibar acquired a 15-year lease from the Municipality of Peja, and has since worked on re-establishing Cinema Jusuf Gërvalla as Peja's cultural hub, with dedicated efforts in its renovation and preservation, in order to better promote its cultural legacy, collective memory, and create a cultural space for its local community.

Cinema Jusuf Gërvalla is unique as the only cinema in the city of Peja, offering the only venue for film screening in the city. Apart from screening films, the space serves other functions too. In recent years, the cinema has become a symbol of resistance, where alternative culture and social dialogue happen. Its resistance towards the privatisation of the cinema and public spaces led to a nationwide initiative named Kino për Qytetin! (A Cinema for the City), which revolved around the idea of collective memory and tapped into a matter that concerned many citizens: the privatisation of public properties.

In August 2016, Anibar, through the International Animation Festival, started another initiative called "Reclaim the City!" By reclaiming the city, Anibar aims to cultivate better ways to interact with public space. This journey started with the people of Peja rising against the neglect of public space in the city, and the citizens succeeded in taking over the city's only cinema. This achievement has led the community to believe it will continue to remain active in the revitalisation of other silenced and abandoned spaces.

At TEH, Anibar is part of the Balkan Hub, Arts Education Platform, and Staff Exchange.