On this day in 2021, ‘Hive’, the feature debut of Blerta Basholli, was awarded the three main awards at Sundance. When accepting the award, Basholli said her award was “dedicated to all the women who really need their voice to be heard, at Sundance and everywhere in the world.” Based on a true story, the film follows Fahrije (played by Yllka Gashi in her debut as a lead actor) and her attempt to get her small home-produced food business off the ground to support her family since her husband is still missing following the war.

This film is both a depiction of the resilience of Kosovan women and their resistance against patriarchal structures. Today, Fahrije’s business is greatly successful under the name ‘Krusha,’ employing 50 widowers of the war and reaching foreign markets. 

For a story that intertwines the socio-political context of post-war Kosova, the translation of this success story into a film that would win all the main awards at Sundance shows how far Kosova has come. This is a film about the resilience of Fahrije Hoti, keeping her business afloat in the face of hostility towards her.

It is written and directed by Blerta Basholli and produced by an assortment of Kosovar production companies.  The film is an inspiration for all generations of Kosova. Coming from a background of war, desperation, and devastation, the younger generations can look to this film and its successes knowing that they can tell their own stories on the world stage. Older generations can feel proud that their stories have been told as beautifully as Hive has done.