Blerta Bashollo – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK November 5, 2021: HIVE

October 31, 2021December 24, 2021 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Blerta Bashollo, Cate Marquis, hive, jennifer merin, kosovo, leslie combemale, loren king, motw, movie of theweek, nell minow, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, truth-based, Yllka Gashi

Perseverance in the face of uncertainty and repression is at the heart of writer/director Blerta Basholli’s feature debut, Hive, which illustrates the devastating real-life impact of the Kosovo War through the story of a determined woman named Fahrije (Yllka Gashi). Left in the painful limbo of not knowing whether her long-missing husband is dead or alive, Fahrije must defy norms and expectations to protect her family, proving herself a true heroine in the process.

Reviews

HIVE – Review by Jennifer Merin

October 24, 2021October 28, 2021 Jennifer Merin Blerta Bashollo, hive, kosovo, motw, Movie of the Week, truth-based, Yllka Gashi

Be prepared to care. Blerta Bashollo’s script and direction convey the heart of the harrowing story, while Yllka Gashi’s nuanced performance as Fahrije captures the quiet but warrior-like determination of a woman who will not give in and will not give up. In Hive, women push through heartache to hope.

Reviews

HIVE – Review by Loren King

October 24, 2021October 30, 2021 Loren King Blerta Bashollo, hive, kosovo, motw, Movie of the Week, truth-based, Yllka Gashi

No wonder that this assured and haunting debut from writer/director Blerta Basholli, an award winner at Sundance, is Kosovo’s official entry for the Oscars’ international feature category. Hive is Kosovo’s eighth Oscar entry but the country has yet to secure a nomination. This powerful, important film is more than deserving. Albanian actress Yllka Gashi portrays the real life figure of Fahrije Hoti who struggles to keep her family afloat after the disappearance of her husband along with all the men in her village after a massacre during the 1990s war in Kosovo.