On Wednesday, ‘Dua’, a film about a girl coming of age in the late ‘90s in Kosovo, received the prestigious SACD award at Semaine de la Critique in Cannes, a recognition that honours screenwriters and directors with outstanding artistic vision in world cinema. 

Basholli told Prishtina Insight on Thursday that, “receiving the SACD Award is a great honor for us. It is especially meaningful because it comes from an organisation that represents authors and creators, so I see it as an important form of support for the voice and story the movie brings.”

The award is considered a major achievement for independent and arthouse filmmaking, placing Dua among the festival’s most acclaimed projects.

Basholli added that the award confirms the global relevance of local stories.

“For me personally, this award is proof that our local and intimate stories can strongly connect with international audiences. I believe this recognition will help Dua reach more people and continue its journey beyond the festival,” she said.

Based on the writer’s lived experience, Dua follows the coming-of-age journey of a 13-year-old girl whose life begins to change as political tensions in Kosovo escalate. 

Set in a society on the brink of war, the story explores identity, adolescence, and the emotional impact of conflict.

As ethnic tensions intensify, Dua, played by Pinea Matoshi, struggles to find her place among her peers and within her changing body. Told through the perspective of a young girl, the movie examines how violence and instability are often absorbed in quieter, deeply internalized ways.

“Girls experience war differently,” Basholli told Prishtina Insight in late April, before the movie’s  premier at Cannes. “Often in quieter, more internalised ways, with a constant sense of insecurity and danger that is not always visible. I wanted this tension to shape how she sees the world and herself.”

Dua is an international co-production between Kosovo, France, and Switzerland.

Acting Kosovo Minister of Culture Saranda Bogujevci praised the achievement, calling it “further proof of the quality and creative potential of Kosovan cinema and its growing presence on the international stage.”

Meanwhile, the Kosovo Cinematography Centre congratulated the entire team behind the movie, describing the award as “a special moment and a major accomplishment for the country’s film industry.”

Kosovo’s Movie Brings a Girl’s Coming-of-Age Story Set in the Late 1990s