She who remains

original title:

Ostaynitsa

italian title:

Colei che resta

directed by:

cast:

Altea Lazaj, Deniza Pavlova, Urim Aliaj, Edinjo Jahja, Snezhina Petrova, Mirela Naska, Denardo Neziri, Nikole Nikaj, Valeria Georgieva, David Paze, Amos Qato

screenplay:

Rene Karabash, Kostadin Bonev, from the eponymous novel by Rene Karabash

cinematography:

editing:

Aleks Dimitrov

set design:

Stivi Rrapo, Vladimir Shishkov

costume design:

Ermela Marku

music:

Nikolai Ivanov

production:

Trivium Films, L'Age d'Or, Papadhimitri Film Production, supported by Ministero della Cultura, with the support of Bulgarian National Film Center. National Film Center of Albania, Bulgarian National Television

country:

Bulgaria/Italy/Albania

year:

2026

film run:

116'

format:

colour

status:

Ready (08/05/2026)

A place where love equals death and where God does not exist. To survive, you have to forget about love. High up in the mountains of Albania a 16 year old girl, Bekia, is forced by her father to marry for a man from the village. The night before their wedding something happens and she makes up her mind. She dissolves the marriage and makes use of the right to become a man, according to their patriarchal laws. She gives up on her feminine side and adopt the name Matya. This causes the death of her father and the total break-up of her entire family. Fifteen years later, nowadays, Matya can no longer hide the secret that she still hide. She sets out a journey for Bulgaria to meet her exiled brother and her childhood hoping to get together the remaining parts of herself. Based on the novel of Rene Karabash "She who remains" International Booker prize nominated.