HIVE

Kosovo, 2021, 84 minutes, Colour.

Ylika Gashi, Cun Lajci.

Directed by Blerta Basholli.

We are taken back to 1999, war in Kosovo, many husbands and sons disappearing. We are taken back to the mid 2000s, the aftermath of war, the remnant of old men, the wives and widows, the younger generation, surviving.

At the centre of this story is a middle-aged woman, a widow, Fahrije (an intensely powerful performance and screen presence by Ylika Gashi). Those who have seen Quote Vadis, Aida? With its memories of Serb massacres in Srebrenica, July 11, 1995, will be making comparisons between Aida and Fahrije. Two very strong women, having to cope with war and aftermath. While Aida had a prominent position as teacher, as translator, Fahrije lives in a village which is, to say the least, highly patriarchal.

Which comes to a head when Fahrije makes a decision to become enterprising. She has been keeping the hives built by her husband to whom was she devoted. She collects the honey and tries to sell it at a local market. She also belongs to a women’s group in the village, who are offered a car to help them in their work. When the invitation is raised, the women are afraid to get their driving licenses, not for fear of driving, but for fear of the reactions of the men who highly disapprove of women driving or taking this kind of initiative and the consequent gossip around the village. Which is what happens when Fahrije decides to get her license. Her father-in-law, wheelchair bound, who helps sell the honey at the market, is highly disapproving. Fahrije is continually clashing with her young daughter who misses her father and resents her mother. She also has a young son.

While Hive might be the title of the film, it might have been called Ajvar.  (Google to the rescue: avjar is Balkan roasted red pepper sauce.) Fahrije, with the help of the strong-minded older widow, Zana, tells the supermarket proprietor that they have a company, establish one, start to make avjar in a shed, other women of the town gradually joining to help. And the men do not approve, throwing stones to smash the car’s window, overturning shelves and breaking bottles of avjar, looking down with disdain, and the women fearful of the men’s reaction and gossip.

This is truly – and, literally – a women’s liberation story. The village patriarchy and attitudes are extraordinarily oppressive (and for audience feelings as well). But, Fahrije is enterprising, a small town entrepreneur who creates a business, encourages the women to assert themselves, is able to make some peace with her family.

At the end of Quo Vadis, Aida? There is a scene where Aida goes to view remnants of clothes and remains of the deceased men. There is a similar scene in Hives, women surviving, the sadness of the truth about the fate of the men.

While the opening told us that this is based on a true story, there is final information about how successfully Fahrije developed her business, exports to Europe, anticipated exports to the United States – and some photos of the actual Fahrije.  Hives was Kosovo’s nomination for 2021 Best Foreign Language Oscar. The film has won many awards, including three at the 2022 Sundance Festival.

1. The title, the initial sequences with the bees and the hives, the honey, Fahrije being stung, memories of her husband?
2. The background of the war in Kosovo, battles, Serbs, resistance, the disappearance of the men, husbands and fathers and brothers? The mystery? Organisations trying to discover where the men had gone? The final sequence and the laying out of clothes and remnants, the women examining, identifying, grieving?
3. The aftermath of the war, the village, homes, streets, markets? The supermarket? The musical score?
4. Fahrije as the focus of the film, her age, marriage to her husband, happiness and devotion, her daughter and the resentment towards her mother and the absence of her father, the young son? The father-in-law, in his wheelchair, memories of his son, Fahrije looking after him, washing him, feeding him? Taking him to the market and his selling the honey?
5. The women gathering, the committee, discussions? The possibility of the use of a car? The women’s reactions, not wanting to get a driving license, the disdain of the men, the gossip in the village? Fahrije and her decision, getting the instruction, driving the car? The men, stones the car window? The women of the gossip? Her persevering?
6. Selling the honey, going to the supermarket? Her friendship with Zana? The visit to the supermarket, discussions with the manager? The decision to make ajvar? The agreement?
7. Buying the peppers, in bulk, Fahrije in the car, the man selling the peppers, his unwelcome advances and her reaction?
8. Her father-in-law’s reaction, negative, the daughter’s reaction? Making the avjar, in the shed? The issue of the circular saw, wanting to sell it, the father-in-law forbidding it? Left outside?
9. The women, gradually joining, making the avjar, bottling it, taking it to the supermarket, the display, success? But the men’s inventions, overturning the shelves and breaking the jars?
10. The issue of the DNA from the father-in-law to identify his son? The refusal? His gradual change of heart? News of the discovery, the remnants on clothes? Farhije in denial?
11. The patriarchal society, the superiority of the men and their decisions and beliefs? The women’s defiance? Liberation?
12. Farhije scene at the end, the business enterprise, in Europe, and to the US?
13. A story of war, suffering, aftermath, enterprise and hope?