Hive | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

100% Tomatometer 75 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings

HIVE is a searing drama based on the true story of Fahrije (Yllka Gashi), 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 together the other widows in her community to launch a business selling a local food product. Finding 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. HIVE is a pithy, devastating portrait of loss and our uphill journeys to freedom.

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Hive

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Critics Consensus

Anchored by Yllka Gashi's outstanding performance, Hive leads viewers on one woman's fact-based quest for self-determination in a patriarchal society.

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Critics Reviews

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Hive | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Simran Hans Observer (UK) Basholli understands that healing is possible, even if closure isn’t. Rated: 4/5 Mar 19, 2022 Full Review Hive | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Tara Brady Irish Times The feel-good finale is well-earned and the glimpse of the women on whom the film is based is, for once, not merely a watermark of authenticity, but a genuinely moving vista. Rated: 4/5 Mar 18, 2022 Full Review Hive | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Jake Cunningham Empire Magazine Hive cooks up a beautifully delicate rally for independence and justice, brought out through precise processes of the communal culinary experience. Rated: 4/5 Mar 18, 2022 Full Review Hive | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Stephanie Bunbury Deadline Hollywood Daily Much of the story’s moral force depends on the splendid Yllka Gashi, a presence of such forbidding strength that when her features soften even for a moment we are riveted. Sep 16, 2023 Full Review Hive | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Brian Susbielles InSession Film A hidden gem that should be sought out. Feb 21, 2023 Full Review Hive | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Sarah Ward Concrete Playground A powerhouse of a true tale that's brought to the screen with a devastatingly potent lead performance, Hive is simply unshakeable. Jun 25, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kevin L Grand filmmaking on this one. Director/writer Blerta Basholli, who also did the casting, was very much up to the task of telling story of Fahrije, her family, and the remaining people of their little village in Kosovo. This is a woman condemned to live the life of a widow without the benefit of a husband she can bury.Following the murders of over two hundred of their people, especially the men, ithout the means to support themselves, the "widows" depend on a nascent woman's support group that hands out stipends every month. Still they struggle. The leader of this support group offers them a chance at independence and self-sufficiency in the form of obtaining a driver's license. But a great many of the men are driven by what has been described as 'feudal misogyny'. Seems more like 'futile manhood', since only a pathetic excuse for a man would behave that way to anyone working so incredibly hard to keep herself and her family fed and clothed. Just as sad if not worse, is all the women who think the same. At least they aren't attacking Fahrije and other women or trying to sabotage their work. Terrified at the shame and negative scrutiny it will bring them, all but one refuses. Fahrije is willing to brave the disdain that will rain down on her. Yllka Gashi as Fahrije is stunning in her silence. Her eyes convey her pain, her body is upright in her determination. Every insult, injury, and disappointment has been etched into her somber face increasing the depth of her character. Çun Lajçi plays Haxhi, Fahrije's father in law. eventually understanding of his daughter in law's fight for survival and a better life for her kids, he conveys both the conflict between hope that his son is still alive after all these years and resignation that he will live what is left of his life not knowing. The remainder of the other Kosovar actors are exceptional in this depiction of a suppressed minority that continues to discriminate against members of its own society.Basholli has crafted a vivid film, not only of one woman's real life struggle to put food on the table but also to transcend gender and cultural oppression and stigma. Living day-to-day in the aftermath of a genocide where death is undeniable and yet still unacknowledged, Fahrije, like her circle of friends and relatives, must learn to live with memories of their lost loved ones, as it is unlikely that any of the missing are still alive.3.8 stars Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Overall, this is a highly dramatic film filled with an unpredictable finale. Hive is shot wonderfully and the filmmaker captures facials, emotions, unsettling situations and family drama. With a simple plot that moves slowly, the film still managed to secure my investment for the entire duration. I had to know the answers to the unknowns this film introduced, plus the top performance from Yllka Gashi was a downright knockout. I was left feeling many emotions as the credits rolled, including how impressed I was by this dramatic feature. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/11/23 Full Review Audience Member a really good one, Quo Vadis Aida left me longing for a less propagandistic film from the Balkans. Would love to taste a little of that Krusha Ajvar! Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review dave d Hive is the best Albanian-Kosovan drama film I've ever seen. I think it's also the only one, but it's still not bad! Written and directed by Blerta Basholli in her directorial debut, 'Hive' tells an age old tale of war and does so in a subtle and heartfelt way. Based on a true story, the feature ends up being an uplifting jolt for the empowerment of women, young and old! Final Score: 7/10 Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review david l There is a lot of intense politicization of Kosovo from both sides that many people forget to focus on the region's social problems, such as extreme poverty and immense misogyny. Hive is a drama that lifts the veil on these issues by dealing with them head-on. On purely cinematic levels, the movie is too ordinary due to its plain cinematography, serviceable directing and a lack of any score, but it succeeds as this subtle, character-driven drama powered by a terrific central performance from Yllka Gashi. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review brent m 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 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. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Blerta Basholli Director Yllka Gashi Fahrije Çun Lajçi Haxhi Aurita Agushi Zamira Kumrije Hoxha Nazmije Adriana Matoshi Lume
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Synopsis HIVE is a searing drama based on the true story of Fahrije (Yllka Gashi), 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 together the other widows in her community to launch a business selling a local food product. Finding 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. HIVE is a pithy, devastating portrait of loss and our uphill journeys to freedom.

Director
Blerta Basholli

Producer
Valon Bajgora, Agon Uka, Yll Uka

Screenwriter
Blerta Basholli

Distributor
Zeitgeist Films

Production Co
AlbaSky Film, Ikone Studio, Alva Film, Industria Film, Black Cat Production

Genre
Drama

Original Language
Albanian

Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 5, 2021, Limited

Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 1, 2022

Box Office (Gross USA)
$13.8K

Runtime
1h 24m
Most Popular at Home Now
Hive | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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