And so we can imagine that berated women in towns all over the world are in the same agonizing situation while anxiously awaiting tremendous or terrible news as more mass graves are found, and they have to inspect belongings or remains regularly. This horribly heartbreaking part is also what writer-director Blerta Basholli, in her feature-length debut, wants to bring attention to, with a reminder that some people are still missing to this day. It also highlights that after a war, many are unable to grieve, unable to move on, and, like many villagers, unable to mind their own business. But thankfully, Hive shows us that, for some, there is light at the end of a tunnel, and also that #notallmen are despicable in this place; some are actually surprisingly nice and humane!
“…highlights that after a war, many are unable to grieve…”
The film attests that small acts of kindness can go a long way, whether it is giving someone the opportunity to emancipate themselves or be given a chance to connect with like-minded people. Although, like its main character, Hive is more on the low-key and pensive side, it is nonetheless a gut-punching and measured film. It is about the consequences of warfare and the many wounds those who survive have to tend to in order to create a new normal after years of utter tragedy, such as the genocide and massacres that happened in many villages like Krusha during the Kosovo War.
In the end, Hive might not be so much about bees, but it allegorically carries a certain message of hope through collective work, all while painting a pretty sad but realistic picture of what is still happening there and in some other parts of the world.
Hive screened at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
"…attests that small acts of kindness can go a long way..."
