Abdurrahman Shala, actor, director, was born in Vushtrri (Kosovo). He continued acting lessons in Belgrade. From 1948, he started working at the Regional People’s Theater in Pristina, as an actor and director. As a director, he directed over 35 shows. With the play “Zhelanët” by Matje Bori, he received the first prize at the Festival of Theaters of Yugoslavia in Belgrade (1952), where he was also awarded the best actor award in the same show. But Abdurrahman Shala made his artistic profile as an actor with a multitude of roles in theater and film. After 1968, Abdurrahman Shala left the theater and devoted himself to cinematography, where he successfully performed many roles in the films: “Rafale në qiell” (“Fighter jets in the sky”)(1958), “Kapedan Leshi“ (“Captain Leshi”) (1960), “Hakmarrja” (“Revenge”) (1962), “Uka i Bjeshkëve të Nemuna” (1968), “Balada për gjakpirësin“ (“Ballad for bloodsuckers”) (1971), “Si të vdiset” (“How to die”)(with which role he won the “Bronze Arena” award at the Chicken Festival), “Sulmi i kuq” (“Red attack”) (1974), “Era dhe lisi“ (“Wind and oak”) (1979), “Njeriu prej dheu” (“Man made of earth”)(1984), “Para shiut“ (“Before the rain”) (1994) etc. With his manly attitude, restrained emotions and minimalistic gestures, Abdurrahman Shala created a unique style of acting, which made him one of the most valuable actors in the former Yugoslavia. Apart from being a director and actor, Abdurrahman Shala also contributed to the creation and development of the Kosovo Theater and the film house “Kosovafilm” (1969), where he was the director for several years. For his contribution to the development of stage and cinematographic art, he was awarded with prizes and recognition. He passed away in 1994. (In the photo: Abdurrahman Shala)
Text: The encyclopedic dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. II , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 1562.
Graphic processing: AHCF
