On this day in 2021, Hive, the feature debut of Blerta Basholli, premiered at Sundance. 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. In this endeavor she encounters the socio-political obstacles of post-war society, as she employs other widows of the war, others around her root for her failure and actively seek to destroy her business.

This film is both a depiction of the resilience of Kosovar 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 premiered at Sundance and received great critical appraisal. It 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 the younger generations of Kosova. Coming from a background of war, desperation, and devastation, the younger generations can look to this film and its premiere at Sundance to a truly globalized audience as an encouragement to tell their own stories.