HIVE
Having the drive of her lifetime, Fahrije tells us the true story of a woman’s destiny in a patriarchal society in the Balkans. After her husband went missing during the Kosovo war, she goes into battle against deeply rooted traditions that don’t see a woman as somebody who earns money, let alone drives a car, produces and sells her products. Stuck in a patriarchal family with her father-in-law as head of the house, Fahrije stands up to the patriarchalism that surrounds her. Her father-in-law can barely move, which therefore diminishes his chances of earning a living, so Fahrije takes her life and the lives of her children into her own hands. She starts selling honey and ajvar, which she makes herself. As she begins to oppose the system she lives in, she is forced to make a life-changing decision.
Blerta Basholli is a writer and director with a unique realistic visual style. Her stories touch upon social and gender issues in Kosovo* where she was born and raised. Basholli’s debut feature film Hive (2021), broke Sundance records when she swept the Grand Jury Prize, the Directing Award, and the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic category, becoming the first film in the history of the Sundance Film Festival to do so. She was awarded the Dean’s Fellowship at the Tisch School of the Arts Film Graduate Program – NYU. She lived in New York City for four years where she had the opportunity to work on several film projects as a student.
Sundance Film Festival – Grand Jury Prize, Directing Award, Audience Award
Hamburg Film Festival – Young Talent Award
Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival – Antigone d’Or for Best Film
Les Arcs European Film Festival – Audience Choice Prize, Young Jury Prize
DIRECTOR: Blerta Basholli
COUNTRY: Kosovo*, Switzerland, Albania, North Macedonia
YEAR: 2021.
RUNTIME: 84’
LANGUAGE: Albanian
CAST: Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi
PRODUCTION: Ikone Studio, Industria Film, Alva Film
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PROGRAM LINE: KINOKAUCH PRESENTS