Arta Dobroshi

Arta Dobroshi
Born	Arta Dobroshi (1980-10-02) 2 October 1980 (age 44) Pristina, SAP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia
Occupations	Actress producer
Years active	2005–present

Arta Dobroshi (born 2 October 1980)[1] is a Kosovo-Albanian actress and producer. Dobroshi is the first Kosovan actress to walk the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival,[2] the Berlin International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival[3] and be nominated for the European Film Award. Dobroshi is a former refugee and now a UN Champion and Goodwill Ambassador.

Early life

Arta Dobroshi was born in Pristina, 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 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 North Carolina, 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] After her first year at the academy, the Kosovo War escalated and Dobroshi's grandparents were imprisoned by Serbian authorities for trying to open an Albanian-language university.[6] When Serbian President Slobodan Milošević resigned in October 2000, Dobroshi quit her job at the refugee camp and became a translator for NATO.[6]

Career

After the war period, she took roles in the local theaters and Albanian movies, as well as a leading role in the German-Albanian production Magic Eye (2005).[7]

Lorna's Silence

While performing a play in Sarajevo, Dobroshi came into contact with Luc and Jean-Piere Dardenne who 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 and was given the role, despite not speaking French.[5][6]

Dobroshi came to international prominence in the Dardenne brothers' film Lorna's Silence in which she played the title role to great acclaim and received international media attention. The film was awarded in Cannes 2008.[8] In the same year Dobroshi was nominated for her role, in the Best Actress category, at the European Film Awards[9] and at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2009.[10]

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 (28 August 2008)[11]

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[12] and won Best International Short Film at Cork Film Festival.[13] It was awarded the highly coveted Best Short Film Award at the British Independent Film Awards[14] Best International Short Film at Flickerfest[15] 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.[16]

Current works

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

Dobroshi stars in Trois Mondes which had its première in the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[17]

Dobroshi is working on Nëna, with her director from Baby, Daniel Mulloy. The film is set in Kosovo's capital Pristina.[18]

Other work

Dobroshi was a jury member of the 59th Berlin International Film Festival.[7]

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

Dobroshi won the 2017 BAFTA Film Award for producing the refugee film Home.

In 2016, Dobroshi was the lead in the acclaimed Massive Attack video Come Near Me.[19]

Upon receiving the 2017 Gold Lion in Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Dobroshi broke protocol to give a powerful message to the world "I am Arta Dobroshi, my nationality is happy and I live in the city called earth".[19]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2022	You Won't Be Alone	Stamena
2020	Gangs of London	Floriana	Television series; 8 episodes
2019	Drita	Drita	Also executive producer
2018	Stray	Grace	Best Actress Award – Antipodean Film Festival
2016	Home		Executive producer
2015	Atis	Mother	Also producer
2014	Gently, Gently	Anna
2013	Mitrovica[20]
	A Cold Day[21]
2012	Three Worlds (Trois mondes)	Vera	Best Actress Award – TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards
	Nëna	Fatmire
2011	Late Bloomers (Trois fois 20 ans)	Maya
	Baby	Sara	Best Actress Award – 24FPS International Short Film Festival
2008	Lorna's Silence (Le silence de Lorna)	Lorna	Best Actress Nomination – European Film Award Best Actress Nomination – Toronto Film Critics Association Awards Best Actress Nomination – Cannes Film Festival
2007	Vera	Vera
2006	The Sadness of Mrs. Snajdrova (Smutek paní Snajdrové)	Ema
2005	Magic Eye (Syri magjik)	Viola	Best Actress Award – Skopje International Film Festival
2002	Netët e Zullumadhit	Girlfriend

Personal life

Dobroshi can speak Albanian, English, and French, and can understand Macedonian.[5]

Awards

• Shooting Stars Award (2013) — at the Berlin International Film Festival[22]
• Berlin Film Festival (2013) — European Film Shooting Star by European Film Promotion[22]
• Women's International Film and Television Showcase LA 2012, Best Actress Award[23]
• 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

1. IMDB Retrieved November, 2012.
2. Kirchner, Stephanie (2 March 2009). "Kosovo to Cannes: Arta Dobroshi's Journey to The Silence of Lorna". Time. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
3. Koha (19 January 2011). "Arta Dobroshi Competes at Sundance Film Festival". New Kosova Report. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
4. Shoji, Kaori (23 January 2009). "Arta Dobroshi: A role model". Japan Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
5. Concannon, Phil (30 November 2008). "Interview - Arta Dobroshi". philonfilm. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
6. Badt, Karin (24 June 2009). "Promising New Actress Arta Dobroshi : "Lorna" in "Silence of Lorna"". HuffPost. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
7. Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) jury members announced Retrieved September, 2010.
8. Sander, Daniel (29 September 2008). "Die Grenzenlose". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 8 October 2008.
9. Nominations for the European Film Awards 2008 Archived 11 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 2010.
10. Toronto Film Critics Awards 2009 Nominations Archived 23 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved September 2010.
11. Variety Arta Dobroshi Retrieved September 2010.
12. Edinburgh Award Winners 2010 Retrieved September, 2010.
13. Irish Times Retrieved November, 2010.
14. British Independent Film Awards - Nominations announced on Awards Daily Retrieved November, 2010.
15. BABY wins at Flickerfest 2011 in Sydney, Australia Archived 21 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved April, 2012
16. IMDB Retrieved April, 2012]
17. Cannes Film Festival Retrieved May, 2012.
18. Xharra Loxha, Lyra (11 January 2012). "Arta Dobroshi accepts lead in Nëna and takes on role of producer". Daniel Mulloy. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
19. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Massive Attack, Ghostpoet - Come Near Me. YouTube.
20. Sundance Institute Archived 9 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved January 2012.
21. Screen Daily Retrieved January 2012.
22. "Arta Dobroshi - Shooting Star 2013". Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
23. WIFTS Award winners Retrieved January, 2013.

External links

• Arta Dobroshi at IMDb
• Kirchner, Stephanie (2 March 2009) "Kosovo to Cannes: Arta Dobroshi's Journey to The Silence of Lorna". Time
• Maher, Kevin (20 November 2008). "Arta Dobroshi: from Kosovo with grim determination". The Times.
• Shoji, Kaori (23 January 2009). "Arta Dobroshi: A role model". The Japan Times
• "Kosovo-born actress Arta Dobroshi nominated MDG Champion". United Nations Development Programme Kosovo. (22 December 2008).
• Bramble, James "Arta Dobroshi". Little White Lies.
• Reynaert, Matthieu (14 July 2008). "interview with Arta Dobroshi • Actress". Cineuropa.