''Hive'' ( Albanian: ''Zgjoi'') is a 2021 Kosovan

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

written and directed by Blerta Basholli in her directorial debut. The film stars Yllka Gashi,

Çun Lajçi Çun Lajçi, or Çun Dreli, is an Albanian musician, author, theater actor, film actor, drama teacher. He is famous for reciting poems to girls '' The Highland Lute'' (''Lahuta e Malsisë''). He is also a lahuta player. Lajçi has played over 200 ...

and Aurita Agushi. It premiered at the

2021 Sundance Film Festival The 2021 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 28 to February 3, 2021. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 15, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Utah, the festival combined in-person screenings at the Ray ...

on January 31, 2021 and became the first film in Sundance history to win all three main awards – the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award and the Directing Award – in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. It was selected as the Kosovan entry for the Best International Feature Film at the

94th Academy Awards The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The awards were scheduled after its usual late February dat ...

Premise

The movie is based on the true story of a woman, Fahrije, who goes against misogynistic societal expectations to become an entrepreneur after her husband went missing during the 1998-1999

Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the wa ...

. She starts selling her own

ajvar Ajvar ( ; Cyrillic script: Ajвар, Aйвар) is a condiment made principally from sweet bell peppers and eggplants. The relish became a popular side dish throughout Yugoslavia after World War II and is popular in Southeast Europe. Homemad ...

and honey, recruiting other women in the process. Fahrije’s husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo, and along with their grief, her family is struggling financially. In order to provide for them she launches a small agricultural business, but in the traditional patriarchal village where she lives, her ambition and efforts to empower herself and other women are not seen as positive things. She struggles not only to keep her family afloat but also against a hostile community who is rooting for her to fail.

Cast

* Yllka Gashi as Fahrije * Çun Lajçi as Haxhi * Aurita Agushi as Zamira * Kumrije Hoxha as Nazmije * Adriana Matoshi as Lume * Molikë Maxhuni as Emine * Blerta Ismaili as Edona

Production

The film was produced by Ikone Studio, Industria Film and was co-produced by AlbaSky Film, Alva Film, Black Cat Production.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the

on January 31, 2021 in the ''World Cinema Dramatic Competition'' section. On September 8, 2021,

Zeitgeist Films Zeitgeist Films is a New York-based distribution company founded in 1988 which acquires and distributes films from the U.S. and around the world. In 2017, Zeitgeist entered into a multi-year strategic alliance with film distributor Kino Lorber. ...

and

Kino Lorber Kino Lorber is an international film distribution company based in New York City. Founded in 1977, it was originally known as Kino International until it was acquired by and merged into Lorber HT Digital in 2009. It specializes in art house films, ...

acquired the film's U.S. distribution rights and set it for a November 5, 2021 theatrical release in the United States.

Reception

Accolades

References

External links

* * * {{Rottentomatoes 2021 films 2021 drama films 2021 independent films Kosovan drama films Albanian drama films Macedonian drama films Swiss drama films Swiss independent films Sundance Film Festival award winners Icon Productions films