Arta Dobroshi

Arta Dobroshi (Serbo-Croat: Arta Dobroši) is a Kosovar Albanian actress, often cited for her striking presence and ability to breathe authentic life into the roles she plays.^[1] She is the first Kosovar actress in history to walk the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival^[2], the Berlin Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival^[3] and be nominated for the European Film Award.

Early life

Arta Dobroshi was born in Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia to Kosovo Albanian parents. She has been studying the performing arts since elementary school^[4] and attended the Academy of Arts acting and drama course in Pristina, which lasted for four years^[5]. She starred in many short films and theatre plays whilst a student there. When Arta was fifteen, she went on a student exchange program to America, where she starred in drama plays^[5]. Dobroshi has a strong work ethic, known to rehearse for a role eight hours or more a day^[5].

In war

As a teenager in Kosovo, the odds were stacked against her. After her first year at the academy, the Kosovo war escalated. Dobroshi's grandparents were imprisoned by the Serbian regime because they were trying to open a university in Kosovo^[4]. In 1999, Serbian soldiers stormed a bar in Pristina and opened fire. Almost all the customers, including one of Dobroshi's professors at the Pristina Academy of Arts and a good friend of hers, also an actress, were shot dead^[2]. Another friend survived with a bullet in her head. During this period, Dobroshi was in Macedonia where she was helping set up a refugee camp for the International Medical Corps, working with people who had been severely traumatized by the war^[2][4]. When Milosevic resigned, she quit her job there, and became a translator for NATO^[4].

Career

After the war period, She took roles in the local theaters and Albanian movies, as well as a leading role in the prize-winning German-Albanian production Magic Eye (2005), a film about the situation in Albania in 1997, when it was rocked by unrest^[6].

Lorna's Silence

While in Sarajevo doing a play in Bosnian, Dobroshi came into contact with the Dardenne brothers and offered her an open casting in Kosovo for Lorna's Silence^[5]. Two weeks after the casting, Dobroshi was called up by the Dardenne brothers, asking her to go to Belgium to do two scenes in French with Jérémie Renier and Fabrizio Rongione. After learning the two scenes phonetically and after finishing the two days of shooting, she was given the role^[5]. She mastered the French language in an eight-week period before shooting^[4]

Dobroshi came to international prominence for her portrayal of Lorna in Luc and Jean-Piere Dardenne's Lorna's Silence in which she played the title role to great acclaim and received international media attention. The film was awarded in Cannes ^[1] 2008. In the same year Dobroshi was nominated for her role, in the Best Actress category, at the European Film Awards^[7] and at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2009.^[8]

"Lorna's Silence is her fourth feature and it meant a big jump in her career. International fame and acclamation came altogether, and that gave her global attention".^[9]

Dobroshi received high praise from the film industry press:

"The radiant Dobroshi illuminates her physical and moral struggles with grit, conviction and a grace that shines all the more brightly amid the gloomy world from which it springs. Lorna may be lost, but here is an actress who, at every turn, knows exactly what she's doing." Variety (Aug. 28, 2008) ^[10]

Baby

Dobroshi starred in the short film Baby by BAFTA winning director Daniel Mulloy. Baby won the Best Short Film Award when it premièred at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2010^[11] and won Best International Short Film at Cork Film Festival.^[12] It was awarded the highly coveted Best Short Film Award at the British Independent Film Awards^[13] Best International Short Film at Flickerfest^[14] and will have its US premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2011. Dobroshi was awarded Best Actress for her role in Baby at the 24fps International Short Film Festival^[15]

Current works

Dobroshi has completed filming on Julie Gavras' Late Bloomers along side William Hurt and Isabella Rossellini.

Dobroshi stars in Trois Mondes which will have its premiere in the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.^[16]

Dobroshi is working on Nëna, with her director from Baby, Daniel Mulloy. The film is set in Kosovo's capital Pristina. Nëna will see Arta Dobroshi accept her first role on her home soil for many years. The film, financed by the UNDP, will be shot in the Albanian language and is the first project that Dobroshi will join as producer^[17].

Other work

Dobroshi was a jury member of the 59th Berlin International Film Festival.^[18]

On 22 December 2008, Dobroshi was appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a MDG Champion / Goodwill Ambassador for Kosovo.^[19] The UNDP were impressed by her previous charity work and believed that her high profile would help raise awareness on issues.

Filmography

Personal life

Dobroshi can speak Albanian, English, French, Serbo-Croatian and can understand Macedonian^[5].

Awards

• European Film Award 2008, Nomination as Best Actress
• Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2009, Nomination as Best Actress
• Skopje International Film Festival, Best Actress^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• Arta Dobroshi at the Internet Movie Database
• TIME MAGAZINE Interview
• THE TIMES UK Interview
• THE TIMES Japan Interview
• Arta Dobroshi, UNDP Kosovo Ambassador
• Little White Lies Interview
• Cineuropa Interview