Directed and written by Blerta Basholli
Starring Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, and Aurita Agushi
Runtime:  84 Minutes
Released by Zeitgiest Films and Kino Lorber International

by Miguel Alejandro Marquez, Staff Writer

Hive is the story of a woman who is left with the job of caring for her two children, as well as her father-in-law, in post-war Krakova, Poland. Like many other women in her village,she lost her husband in the war. Because she lives in a patriarchal society that doesn’t encourage female independence, Fahrije (Yllka Gashi) strives to help the women of the village overcome the inequality in a sexist, grief-stricken society. The solution to her problems comes in the form of her making honey and ajvar (a red pepper sauce) to fund the local women’s group. Problems soon arise from operating a female-run small business in a society that wants none. 

One of the hardest things that a filmmaker can do is to make a character relatable, likable, and understandable. Writer/director Blerta Basholli gives us the story of a woman who is all three. The way Fahrije navigates the harsh environment is admirable and makes the audience engaged with her struggles between her responsibilities as a mother, wife, and leader of broken women.

The aspect of the story that isn’t communicated well is the environment of the village within Hive. Some of the storytelling is too vague. The details of Fahrije’s past are occasionally revealed in subtle ways,   but if you’re not paying careful attention, you might not pick up on these moments. Why she needs to help finance the women of the village also isn’t clear. Yes, we see the struggles of the women, especially when it comes to their financial situation, but there isn’t really a ticking clock, nor a necessity to gain a certain level of success. One of the problems that the film comes across is making the audience understand why this society is so intolerant to such an idea of a woman-led business, and why it is a slight against her dead husband. It would have been helpful to provide more context to where the history of sexism and intolerance comes from 

In some ways, the way the story is undertold is also its strength. It uses “show don’t tell” efficiently and has the maturity to see that the audience is intelligent enough to fill in the information that it doesn’t provide. As stated before, it was a gamble that could have gone off wrong if had not taken in the direction that it had. The beekeeping aspect to the story isn’t as prominent as marketing materials might lead you to believe. Something is lost by not showing Fahrije’s trade more prominently. Basholli chose not to have these types of moments in the film, and I respect her decision to cut that aspect from the story, but it’s an unusual line of business that would be interesting to learn more about. 

The cinematic minimalism of Hive’s editing, directing, and performances needs to be applauded. The film felt grounded, especially with its hand-held cinematography. These aspects made it an honest portrayal of Fahrije, rather than it being an overly cinematic look at her journey of self-discovery. Yllka Gashi is phenomenal as the lead. She was given a range of different emotions and character nuances, from doting mother, to tough matriarch, to independent, yet emotionally broken business owner. Her performance isn’t static, and it’s one of the hallmarks of the film.  This film could have been an atypical indie-feature, taking such dramatic and mature concepts and turning it into being a complete snoozefest. Hive is not that. Hive is a powerhouse of both acting and directing.