User Reviews

Important (true) story of the painful aknowledgement of a husband lost to an unjust war and an equally painful struggle to be respected and allowed to work (being a woman) for the sake of one's family. Well played and well directed, not sure though why this film won the Sundance Festival as best international film.

Don't get me wrong, this movie is filled with action but not in the classic sense. It's a bit slow moving but it certainly got me hooked from the beginning. It's about a family who's struggling to make ends meet after war. It's also a film about women who try to help eachother. The men in the film is stuck in there ways but if you look closely there are rays of hope shining through. I gave it an 8 but as a debut this is a sensation. If you're into films with Segal or Van Damme Don't watch this.

Hive is a dramatic indication of Balkan Women who struggle from poverty. Albainan director took his Sundance Jury Prize with this such a beautiful story and told a story about semi-closed balkan countries' daily dramatic life to people. Also the film now is showed on 11. EU Human Rights Film Days in Turkey. For people whom may watch this film shouldn't miss to understand what's going on their cultutral neighbours.

Based on the true story of Fahrije Hoti & other widows residing in Krusha e Madhe during the 1999 Kosovo war, and the killings of village males by Serb forces. Afterwards males in the community tried to impose cultural traditional restrictions on female independence. But, Fahrije & other, mostly war widowed, women chose independence. One of which was starting their own business of making Krusha Ajvar, a red pepper spread, now sold in many countries.

Kosovo's official entry to 2022's Oscars is amazing, authentic, emotional and powerful. Its true story is beautiful, interesting and well written. It beautifully tackles important topics like how hard it is to be a strong independent woman in a sexist patriarchal society, and to wait for those who are lost in the war. All portrayed in a beautifully simple, real and moving way. Cinematography is stunning. Lead performance is Oscar-worthy. It's one of the year's best international films.

Totally worth seeing. The strength, hardship, tolerance, stubbornness and dignity, integrity of these women fighting for whatever little money, the main character struggling to put food on the table, and being labeled a traitor! It's outrageous how the men sitting in their cafes doing nothing don't accept her willingness to work, so hard! And her children growing up in this environment one day they'll understand the work their mother proudly soldiered on for them. Knowing full well her husband wasn't coming back. Damn the war, all the pointless killings of men women children, the old the young, the unborn, such love and care comes out in the end, for the power of love will eventually prevail...xx.

I had high hopes when going to watch this film. After about 80 minutes, I realized that this film is as poor in its directing as it is in its performance. Things get repeated tons of times (as if some keywords had to be used over and over), the main actress is placid and unable to convey any feelings or emotions, situations are superficially created by a flimsy plot. Very disappointing.

To me (as a woman), it appears almost like an exploitation movie for female issues. But the cinematic approach of "Hive" is so poor that it makes it ridiculous. There is no subtlety to it. Simply a bashing of Manichean ideas. At some point, I felt like I wouldn't be able to stand the film in its entirety.

A good point though : I felt like the secondary cast was quite interested and would have deserved more screen time.

The film is beautifully made, has a perfect pace, is well acted and tells not only the story of a woman in Kosovo, but one that can be applied to many women in the workplace or society around the globe. I truly hope the movie gets out to a larger audience while I had the chance to watch it at the Zurich Film Festival.

I haven't seen a good albanian movie the last 10+ years and I was skeptical at first when I bought the ticket but..uauu!

Such a great,exceptional movie! The leading actress was amazing! The directing,music, everything was perfect and so real told! I strongly suggest seen it!

Such a powerful message! Well done👏🏼👏🏼

An excellent Oscar submission from Kosovo- "Hive" tells the true story of Fahrije Hoti: a woman who suffered greatly, losing her husband in the Kosovo war and fighting for financial independence and security for herself and her family.

Fahritje and her village neighbors struggle together to get up from adversity, directly eliminating the stigma of weak women who only depended on the role of men. Greatly acted and directed, the film tells the story of mothers who are strong and mentally steel. The real Wonder Women.

I am fortunate enough to live in Australia where, as one of the more successful western multicultural societies we have SBS: A Special Broadcasting Service whoe remit is to use taxpayer funds to licence and broadcast foreign language content for our multilingual community.

SBS is is probably the greatest cultural program in Australia otherwise I would probably never have seen this movie.

I don't want to blow smoke, but was expecting some sort of filler movie that would be mildly engaging but due to the quality of the direction, photography, subject matter and story; even as an average bloke I was quickly drawn into the movie which is about a subject about as far removed from my life as one can get, and as everybody knows: this is the mark of quality story telling: to transport you into a story that is totally unrelated to ones own life.

Many movies that are big buget rarely achieve this so commendations to all involved in this, thoroughly engaging.

If you see Yllka Gashi playin in a movie , you must expect to be amazed . Great movie and great cast and will prefer it to everyone !

This is amazing, 11/10.

1 more star for this amazing story, this needs to be heard around the world to motivate every woman. Can't wait to watch this movie for the second time and what's important can't wait to try Ajvar from golden hands of Krusha women.

I admire how this film of such a tragic story about postwar Kosovo transmits universal messages and above all optimistic ones.

Watching this film is like reading 10 really good books!

This story is relatable to many women who struggle in a traditionally patriarchal society. The main character of this movie also lost her husband during the war making her situation even more difficult.

Wow, Wow & 1000 more WOW!

An Movie based one the truth with so mich feelings in it! I recomand all of you to watch this movie. Surely it will win an oscar.

Great Actors with a great story.

Just watch it is amazing every scene is wonderful,i hope they can win Oscar well Deserved,Actress on top and this is just a reality , and this movie is for all women in the wold to see what happend when this hard time happend to you.

Saw the movie before two weeks ago. It is a sad true story for woman's in Krusha who lost their husbands during the war and challenges they face. Well directed and amazing cast.

Had same fate many Albanian were killed by Serbians from 1877 so nothing new. It us sad reality for Albanian families who had their husband/father got killed just because he was Albanian. Thus this film denotes the harsh reality to survive to raise children in poverty trying to survive while the new system of former Yugoslavia had agrarian reforma and the arable land. So, it was hard to grow food in non arable land.

"Hive" is set a handful of years after the Kosovo war but still near enough to be in its rattling wake. It's based on a true story of feminist defiance and healing that counts as one of the more affecting tales of recovery to come from the war, which decimated villages and, from its massacres coused by Serbs, left many families of the missing in a limbo of grief that still exists.

Fahrije is one of those ever-waiting wives; we first glimpse her trespassing on a mass grave investigation site to check bags in a U. N. truck for a body, clothes, identification, some sense of finality regarding the husband who disappeared along with so many in her town of Krusha e Madhe. At home, she takes care of a young son and daughter, an infirm father-in-law (Çun Lajçi) and a row of beehives producing honey, the sale of which is barely enough to keep them afloat.

We soon realize that for the remaining old guard of men in her patriarchal town, a missing husband is not an absent figure when it comes to the proper place for the wife, which is in the home, dependent on a man who, in this wretched situation, isn't likely to return. At the regular meetings of a threadbare women's organization Fahrije helps run - its struggling widows reliant on dwindling aid - she listens as the threat of gossip and worse keeps many of these desperate, mourning souls from even getting a driver's license so they can make use of a donated car and earn a living.

Fahrije can't wait, however, for word on what she knows in her bones is the fate of her husband, or for an ancient misogyny to evaporate. She arrives at a solution that will put their whole grieving sisterhood to work: making and jarring the beloved regional red pepper relish known as ajvar and selling it themselves as a business. What isn't as easy to sell to a stricken populace that can't view women as equal members of society is the aroma of independence this enterprise creates.

A powerful story of loss, resilience and grit. Based on a true story and and a living person (Fahrije) in Kosovo. Great performance by Yllka. A must watch.

Its safe to say it's the best Albanian movie out there, it goes into detail about what Albanians from Kosovo had to go through under the Serbian dictatorship, it resurfaces the much needed topics of the missing people who were massacred and tortured, overall a really great film.

This film shows off the true story of what happened in Kosovo through war. It gives you the opportunity to see through your eyes how families managed to go through life after all that happened.

This movie touched my heart. I have been through this war and I know how difficult this time was. These women have been suffering for a long time without their loved ones support.

Well done.

"Hive" known in Albanian as "Zgjoi" is a movie about a successful woman from village "Krusha e Madhe", whom made it possible to grow a business from 0 even though there were 100 obstacles in the road. Not giving up and working hard to achieve something are the main messages from this movie. Yllka Gashi portraited Fahrije Hoti in the best way possible and Blerta Basholli, the director, made the movie a great one.