Hive

Name: Hive
Genre: Drama
Released: November 5, 2021
Duration: 84 min
Rating: 73
Cast: Adriana Matoshi, Aurita Agushi, Blerta Ismaili, Cun Lajci, Kaona Sylejmani

2021

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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6.2

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6.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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Hive (US Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

Zeitgeist Films | Release Date: November 5, 2021 | Not Rated

Starring: Adriana Matoshi, Aurita Agushi, Blerta Ismaili, Cun Lajci, Kaona Sylejmani, Kumrije Hoxha, Mal Noah Safqiu, Molikë Maxhuni, Xhejlane Terbunja, Yllka Gashi

Movie Facts:

Winner of the Audience Award, Directing Award, and World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

Summary: Hive is based on the true story of Fahrije, who, like many of the other women in her patriarchal village, has lived with fading hope and burgeoning grief since her husband went missing during the war in Kosovo. In order to provide for her struggling family, she pulls the other widows in her community together to launch a business selling aHive is based on the true story of Fahrije, who, like many of the other women in her patriarchal village, has lived with fading hope and burgeoning grief since her husband went missing during the war in Kosovo. In order to provide for her struggling family, she pulls the other widows in her community together to launch a business selling a local food product. Together, they find healing and solace in considering a future without their husbands—but their will to begin living independently is met with hostility. The men in the village condemn Fahrije’s efforts to empower herself and the women around her, starting a feud that threatens their newfound sovereignty—and the financial future of Fahrije’s family. Against the backdrop of Eastern Europe’s civil unrest and lingering misogyny, Fahrije and the women of her village join in a struggle to find hope in the face of an uncertain future.… Expand

Director: Blerta Basholli

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 84 min

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Critic Reviews

Allan Hunter

Feb 3, 2021

There is a spare, focused storytelling here that creates room to breathe. Read full review

Empire Jake Cunningham

Mar 17, 2022

Hive cooks up a beautifully delicate rally for independence and justice, brought out through precise processes of the communal culinary experience. Although not entirely well balanced, it makes for nourishing, inspiring viewing. Read full review

Simran Hans

Mar 21, 2022

Basholli understands that healing is possible, even if closure isn’t. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Tomris Laffly

Nov 5, 2021

Though it doesn’t break new ground, Hive still reminds one how urgently significant it is to honor the unique fighting spirit of women, and how much cinematic joy seeing that spirit flourish against the odds can bring about. Read full review

Natalia Keogan

Nov 8, 2021

Far more interested in unpacking the pervasive misogynistic sentiments in Kosovo than the actual war itself, the film is pointed in its chosen observation, but appears remiss of broader political engagement. Read full review

Deborah Young

Feb 11, 2021

It’s hard to think of a less dramatic subject to fictionalize, yet in its own quiet way, Hive builds a strong storyline around the self-reliance and determination of an uneducated country woman, played with glammed-down but riveting cool by a granite-faced Yllka Gashi. Read full review

IndieWire Ryan Lattanzio

Feb 3, 2021

While it certainly offers up a necessary-if-dour vision of patriarchy-dominated life in this particular corner of Europe, by-the-numbers storytelling and a flat, visual style occasionally lead to dramatic intertia. Still, Gashi is powerfully, effectively steely as a woman who must take matters into her own hands, even when they are tied by society. Read full review

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User Reviews

Addinhoo

Dec 31, 2021

Great movie! The stillness provided by the faces of Gashi is stunning and really gives the movie something else. It is a beautiful movie and I especially liked the ending.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Brent_Marchant

Mar 7, 2022

When the madness of war mercilessly tears families apart, the survivors are left to pick up the pieces, a process that can sometimes be more complicated than one might expect. So it was for the women of Kosovo in the wake of the tiny Balkan republic when it was bombarded by neighboringWhen the madness of war mercilessly tears families apart, the survivors are left to pick up the pieces, a process that can sometimes be more complicated than one might expect. So it was for the women of Kosovo in the wake of the tiny Balkan republic when it was bombarded by neighboring Serbia in 1999, a conflict that resulted in the "disappearance" of many of the nation's husbands and fathers, leaving their wives and mothers to carry on. But their efforts were often thwarted by a misogynistic culture that prevented them from earning a living, even despite the absence of male breadwinners in many households. Director Berta Basholli's fact-based debut feature tells the inspiring story of a group of women who defied the barriers in setting up their own company selling honey and ajvar, a relish made from red peppers and eggplants. This moving tale explores the challenges of starting a business under difficult conditions while trying to keep their families together an dealing with the grief of lost loved ones. The filmmaker hits all of the right notes with this offering, most notably in the superb performance by Yllka Gashi as the beleaguered but defiant protagonist. With world events being what they are at the moment, this outstanding release reminds us all too poignantly about what we face in the wake of these misguided catastrophes and the difficulty of coming back from them without an abundance of courage, fortitude and determination.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

bertobellamy

Jun 12, 2022

A sometimes unknown effect of war is made visible in this film: what happens when the women that lost their husbands have to think of a way to survive in a society where they're seen as inferior? 'Hive' is a straightforward story based on actual events about a stoic woman uniting the wivesA sometimes unknown effect of war is made visible in this film: what happens when the women that lost their husbands have to think of a way to survive in a society where they're seen as inferior? 'Hive' is a straightforward story based on actual events about a stoic woman uniting the wives of the missing to start a new business that can sustain them. The highlight of the movie is, of course, Yllka Gashi's acting. She carries the whole film on her shoulders, and the desperation and determination of its character are felt every moment. The screenplay lacks a little development of other characters, and the visual style may be too simple, but the story's impact remains intact.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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