Film
Blerta Basholli's “Dua” competes in Rome, well received by Italian critics
The drama about a 13-year-old girl in late-1990s Pristina, Kosovo's Oscar submission, was screened in the “Progressive Cinema” competition of the Rome Film Festival.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 18, 2026, 12:00 · Updated 12:20 · 1 min read
In brief
- “Dua” was screened on Oct. 17 in the “Progressive Cinema” competition of the 21st edition of the Festa del Cinema di Roma.
- The film, winner of the SACD prize at Cannes Critics' Week, is Kosovo's Oscar submission.
- The Italian site Cinefilos.it gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the realism of the camera work.
The film “Dua” by Kosovar director Blerta Basholli was presented on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Rome Film Festival, where it is competing in the “Progressive Cinema” section. The 21st edition of the Italian festival runs from Oct. 13 to 25.
The story is set in Pristina in the late 1990s. The protagonist, Dua, is a 13-year-old girl trying to get through adolescence as war approaches and violence grows around her. After an experience of harassment, she devotes herself more and more to judo, a sport she had taken up after meeting Maki, a headstrong and daring girl.
From Cannes to Rome
The lead role is played by Pinea Matoshi, while the cast also includes Vlera Bilalli, Kaona Matoshi, Yllka Gashi, Kushtrim Hoxha and Arben Bajraktaraj as the judo coach. The screenplay was written by Basholli together with Nicole Borgeat, in a co-production between Kosovo, Switzerland and France.
“Dua” had its world premiere in May at Critics' Week at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the SACD prize. Kosovo has selected it as its submission for the Oscar in the international feature film category.
In Italy, the film has received positive reviews. The critic for the Cinefilos.it site gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the camera that follows the characters closely and creates a sense of realism, as well as the timeliness of the story for young people growing up in conflict zones today.
