Hive: Film Review
I love films that shed light on an inspirational person or true story and so Hive was very much up my street.
The drama, directed by Blerta Basholli, tells the story of Fahrije Hoti (Yllka Gashi), whose husband went missing during the war in Kosovo, like many other women in her village. Determined to provide for her family, Fahrjie and her fellow war widows work together to make and sell ajvar, a sauce made from roasted red bell peppers. But the misogynistic men in the village are unhappy with their business and newfound independence and are determined to make their venture fail.
The patriarchal society this film is set in is maddening and made me so angry. The men don’t even like Fahrije driving her own car so no wonder watching her make her own money sticks in their throats. Fahrije is a headstrong, determined woman who doesn’t let their sabotage efforts and various setbacks knock her down for long. She has too much responsibility – a house, her two children, her husband’s disabled father – riding on the sauce’s success.
Hive won three prizes at the Sundance Film Festival and was submitted as Kosovo’s entry for the Oscars and it is clear to see why – it tells a powerful, inspirational story and Gashi gives a terrific performance as a woman who doesn’t really have the time to grieve her husband; she needs to knuckle down and get the business working.
However, I must admit that I struggled with the film at times. It is often rather quiet and slow (Fahrije isn’t particularly chatty!) and it felt longer than its 84-minute runtime. I also would have liked a bit more historical context within the movie itself and an extra five minutes at the end as an epilogue as I wasn’t satisfied with where it stops.
Hive is a touching story that sheds light on an incredible real-life person and for that reason alone, it’s worth a watch.
In cinemas from Friday 18th March