Rather than portraying the war directly, Basholli focuses on the psychological imprint it leaves, exploring how violence and instability are internalised. 

As war and ethnic tensions in Kosovo escalate, Dua struggles to find her place among her peers – and within her changing body. Told through the protagonist’s eye view, the film explores how violence and instability are absorbed.

“Girls experience war differently,” Basholli said, “often in quieter, more internalised ways, with a constant sense of insecurity and danger that is not always visible. I wanted this to exist as a tension that shapes how she sees the world and herself.”

Pinea Matoshi from Pristina, who plays Dua, caught Basholli’s attention during the months-long casting process in primary and high schools.

“I wasn’t just looking for someone who could act in a traditional way but someone who could hold a lot inside – through presence, through silence,” she said.

Finding the right Dua was a delicate process, she said, but Matoshi stood out: “During auditions, there was something very authentic about her, and I couldn’t get her out of my mind.”