Plus IconFilmPlus IconTVPlus IconWhat To WatchPlus IconMusicPlus IconDocsPlus IconDigital & GamingPlus IconGlobalPlus IconAwards CircuitPlus IconVideoPlus IconWhat To HearPlus IconClick to expand the Mega MenuPlus IconClick to Expand Search InputGot a Tip?NewslettersSwitch edition betweenU.S. EditionAsia EditionGlobal EditionU.S.AsiaGlobalVarietyPlus IconClick to expand the Mega MenuPlus IconClick to Expand Search InputVarietyPlus IconRead Next: ‘Matilda the Musical’ Star Alisha Weir to Lead Coming-of-Age Comedy Feature ‘Underdogs’ (EXCLUSIVE)HomeFilmGlobalMay 14, 2026 2:34am PTSundance Winner ‘Hive’ Director Blerta Basholli Releases Her Second Feature ‘Dua’ in Cannes’ Critics’ WeekByRoberto PrietoPlus IconRoberto PrietoLatestBrazil’s VDF Showcase Makes an Exciting Return to Cannes, Highlighting a Diverse Group of Films From Fresh New Talent (EXCLUSIVE)3 weeks agoJamaica-Set Horror Drama ‘Duppy,’ From ‘Seventeen’ Director Ajuán Isaac-George, Set for Cannes Frontières Platform (EXCLUSIVE)1 month agoPrime Video Renews ‘La Oficina’ From ‘Club of Crows’ Co-Creator Gaz Alazraki (EXCLUSIVE)1 month agoSee AllPinea Matoshi in “Dua”Blerta Basholli’s second feature film “Dua” has just had its world premiere on May 13 during Cannes’ Critics’ Week. It follows Basholli’s film “Hive,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021, becoming the festival’s only film to ever win the Grand Jury Prize, directing and the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.Set in late 1990’s Kosova during the war, ‘Dua,’ a coming-of-age film follows 13-year-old Dua, who has to deal with the ongoing reality of war and the growing pains of becoming a young woman. As she navigates the daily violence and the possibility of having to leave her beloved country, Dua must learn how to protect herself physically and emotionally from the constant barrage of challenges thrown at her.Related Stories’Big Brother’ Season 28 Sets July Release DateNXT Premium Live Events to Air on CW in Multi-Year DealBorn in Kosova, Basholli explains that the film is semi-autobiographical: “Most of the scenes in the film are based on what I experienced and what happened to me. Witnessing protests, watching the news, being part of all the discussions at home, leaving the country, it’s all based on my life.”Popular on VarietyShe adds: “When you’re making a film about small countries like Kosova, there’s always a temptation to explain because it’s complicated. There are two nations, two languages, nobody can tell the difference between them, and not many people know what really happened. They just know there was a war. In this sense, we tried to focus on Dua and to tell that journey through her.”Basholli cites the Dardenne brothers’ “Rosetta” as a source of inspiration, along with Andrea Arnold’s “Fish Tank” and Lucrecia Martel’s “La Niña Santa”. The film is filled with long shots, most of the scenes being shot in one take. “Naturally, I want beautiful lighting, but I don’t want the hand of the DP, the camera, or the director to be felt. For me, it is very important that we believe in the atmosphere. I want people to feel that we are with an Albanian family in 1998 and not to make it feel like a beautiful film,” says Basholli.Pinea Matoshi, who plays Dua with a vulnerable yet understated intensity, was discovered during a search through every primary school and high school in Prishtina, Kosova, Basholli’s hometown. She and her second assistant director Dafina Gjikolli auditioned around 5,000 children. “She’s a little bit like me when I was a teenager, she doesn’t talk much. I prefer actors who express themselves with expressions or attitudes. I think Pinea has this ability to talk with her eyes,” says Basholli.The film also stars Yllka Gashi as Dua’s mother, who was the lead in “Hive.” Basholli says Gashi “has the same quality as Pinea: she expresses a lot by not saying much. I love working with her and she’s going to be in my next film.”The rest of the cast includes Kushtrim Hoxha as Bekim, Vlera Bilalli as Maki, Andi Bajgora as Veggie, Fiona Abdullahu as Mimi, Kaona Matoshi as Tina (who happens to be Pinea’s sister), Arben Bajraktaraj as Pinea’s Judo trainer and Mila Savic as Mrs. Tomic.A Kosova/Switzerland/France co-production, “Dua” is produced by Ikonë Studio, Alva Film, Kazak Productions, ARTE France – Unité Cinéma and RTS Radio Télévision Suisse. The film’s producers are Valon Bajgora, Britta Rindelaub, Thomas Reichlin, Amaury Ovise, Yll Uka, Agon Uka and Jean-Christophe Reymond.World Sales are being handled by The Party Film Sales; Frenetic Films Distribution is handling distribution in Switzerland.Blerta Basholli. Photo by Artan KorenicaVarietyspoke briefly with Basholli before the film’s Cannes world premiere:Are you now based in Kosova? In your opinion, how has Kosova and its people changed since the war? “Hive” dealt with mysogyny in the village, for example. Do you think the status of women has improved?Blerta Basholli:Yes, Kosova has changed tremendously. Women have played a crucial role, both before and after the war, in shaping society and pushing forward the position of women. Today we see women leading the country, women in politics, business, and filmmaking. But in everyday life, and not only in Kosova, I believe there is still a long way to go. These structures and mentalities come from history, and change takes time.The film is more relevant than ever considering all the conflicts that are happening around the world. What would be your message to the teenage girls growing up right now in Ukraine, Palestine and other war zones?Basholli:Unfortunately, yes, the film is more relevant than ever, and that is exactly why I felt it was important to tell this story now. My message to teenage girls growing up in Ukraine, Palestine and other conflict zones would be: Keep dreaming, never give up, and never feel less than anyone else. You are equal to every person in this world, intelligent, capable, and deserving of every opportunity. The fact that you are growing up in conflict should not stop you from becoming who you are. As painful and unfair as it is, I hope it becomes a source of strength, resilience, and courage. And yes, I am sorry we are only watching and not helping you more.Can you tell us a bit about what happened to your own family after the war and where are they now?Basholli:Me, my mother, and my brother left Kosova by train. We first went to refugee camps in Macedonia, where we stayed for five days, and then we signed up to fly to Germany. We were placed in Braunschweig, near Halle, as refugees. We stayed there for four months and returned home after Kosova was freed.My father and my two sisters stayed behind in Prishtina. They had moved from our apartment to our cousin’s apartment because it was becoming too dangerous. Later, they also tried to leave by train, but Milošević’s forces turned the train back, trying to create the false image to the world that people were voluntarily returning to Kosova. No trains were allowed to leave the country after that and our car got stolen by the Serbian forces, so they could not leave.They went through a very difficult period. At one point, the police took my father to the station without any reason and later released him. Thankfully, despite everything, we all survived and were reunited.What are your hopes for “Dua” as you get ready for the film’s world premiere in Cannes?Basholli:I just hope that our little film helps remind the world that teenagers growing up in conflict zones are no different from any of us. They have dreams, talents, and knowledge. They listen to the same music, want to fall in love, go to concerts, laugh with their friends and imagine a future for themselves. I hope the film encourages people to see them not as distant victims of war but as human beings exactly like us. And maybe, in some way, it can make us all think about what more we can do to stop these conflicts. No one deserves to live through war — no one.Read More About:Blerta Basholli,Cannes Film Festival,Critics Week,Semaine de la CritiqueJump to CommentsMore from VarietyHow Bill Condon and Laura Bickford Tell the Story of Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ in Musical ’The Road Home’ Starring Cynthia Erivo‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ Renewed for Season 2 at Apple TVMadonna, Shakira and BTS to Co-Headline FIFA World Cup Final Halftime ShowAlly Lewber on Life After ‘Vanderpump Rules’ and Her Return to Reality TV for ‘Perfect Match’: ‘I’m Excited to Rewrite My Own Story’Super Bowl Soap Opera: Disney Sells Some Commercials for $9 Million, But Still Faces Resistance From Large Ad Buyers (EXCLUSIVE)‘Dragon Ball Z’ Rep Yasuo Matsuo, Jun Matsuo and Frankie Seratch Launch IP Bay to Bring Japanese Authors to Western Screens (EXCLUSIVE)JavaScript is required to load the comments.Loading comments…Most PopularChristopher Nolan Defends ‘The Odyssey’ Armor and Casting Travis Scott After Online Backlash: ‘What Is the Best Speculation?’‘Big Bang Theory’ Spinoff ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’ Drops Apocalyptic First Teaser, Sets Official Release Date‘The Odyssey’: Why Elon Musk and His Troll Army’s Attacks Aren’t Just Silly but Wildly InaccurateSaudi Arabia’s Shattered Hollywood Dreams: Will the Warner Bros. and Paramount Merger and a Shift in Strategy Help the Kingdom Rebound?‘The Boys’ Star on [SPOILER]’s Tragic Death, Why He Can’t Watch His Final Episode and Dancing With Homelander Between Takes: ‘We Had to Keep It Light…‘Lincoln Lawyer’ to End With Season 5 at Netflix, Series Adds Six Recurring Guest StarsAdam McKay Says ‘No Group Is Worse’ for America Than ‘White Liberals’: ‘They’re Getting a Lot From This Broken System…‘Off Campus’ Boss and Star Ella Bright Break Down Dean and Allie’s Surprise Role in Season 1, Changes From the Book and [SPOILER]’s Shocking…’Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Sets Disney+ Release Date‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Global Concert Tour Set by Netflix and AEG PresentsMust ReadFilm‘Dune 3’ Wows CinemaCon With 7-Minute Opening Scene Featuring Brutal Battle as Timothée Chalamet Dominates the GalaxyBy Andrew Wallenstein4 weeksTVChristopher Meloni Says Goodbye to Stabler After ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Cancellation: ‘It Was a Great Ride’Film‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Trailer: Thor Battles Doctor Doom, Chris Evans Picks Up the Hammer, X-Men Back in Action in Thrilling CinemaCon…MusicD4vd Arrested for Murder of Celeste RivasTV‘The Pitt’ Season 2 Didn’t Have a Defining Disaster — and Proved It Doesn’t Need OneSign Up for Variety NewslettersYour EmailSign UpSign UpBy providing your information, you agree to ourTerms of Useand ourPrivacy Policy.
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