Writer-director
Blerta
Basholli ’ s screenplay , based on a true story , struggles under the weight of its many subplots and the lack of contextualization at the beginning ; body bags and UN vehicles are meager clues . Simple black cards stating that it is seven years after Kosovo ’ s 1998-1999 war when Serbian forces seized more than 200 healthy males from the war-ravaged villages of Krusha e Madhe / Velika Krusa would have added perspective . When Hive focuses on the interplay of Fahrije Hoti ’ s personal relationships and the social interactions among peers is when we discover and understand the complexities of narrow-minded communities most .
Lacking institutional support , the village ’ s numerous widows barely support their families . They want full-time work , yet without a car it is hard to find a job . Fahrije ( Yllka Gashi ) luckily has her missing — or massacred — husband ’ s beehives , and his aging father Haxhi ’ s ( Çun Lajçi ) help selling honey at the market ; she works tirelessly . Village elders tolerate it . With Nazmije ’ s ( Kumrije Hoxha ) help , they put a bold plan in motion ; it is sound and nonthreatening to the malecontrolled community , as it only involves cooking . Fahrije gets a driver ’ s license , and Nazmije lends her an old reliable auto . Fahrije ’ s driving is what the ultraconservative patriarchs will not tolerate : they disrupt , they sabotage , just as the women shun her . Fahrije tenaciously , defiantly continues ; her teenager , Zamira ( Aurita Agushi ), is deeply embarrassed , son Edon ( Mal Noah Safqiu ) is baffled , and Haxhi reminds her that her actions affect them all . Persistence pays off ; Lume ( Adriana Matoshi ) and others trickle along . In life , nothing is set in stone .
Gashi ’ s performance is forceful , and the supporting cast is compelling ; many residents were extras from the village near where Hive was filmed , since Krusha e Madhe had to be rebuilt after the war . The bigotries , misogyny , and craven abdication of responsibility by , predominantly , men are societal ills prevalent worldwide . The moral courage women demon-strate is a lesson to all . Alex Bloom ’ s documentarystyle camerawork is effective ; Félix Sandri and Enis Saraçi edit with music by Julien Painot .
Fahrije Hoti ’ s agricultural cooperative , “ Krusha ,” now supports fifty employees , and she purchases produce from neighboring farmers . In April , when she was awarded
Hive
Zgjoi
***
1 / 2
© Jip Film & Verleih
Kosovo | Switzerland | Albania | North Macedonia 2021 Opened Sept . 8 , 2022 84 minutes
Directed by : Blerta Basholli Writing credits : Blerta Basholli Principal actors : Yllka Gashi , Çun Lajçi , Aurita Agushi , Kumrije Hoxha
the annual European of the Year award by Tomas Szunyog , head of Kosovo ’ s EU office , he cited Hoti as “ the best example of how to turn a painful experience into courage and resilience .” ( Marinell Haegelin ) person is René ( Justus von Dohnányi ), whom Dorothee had adopted and raised along with her own two children . Six adults on the beach , who are suddenly forced to take sides when Dorothee announces that she and René have just married . She has taken on his name and is now Dorothee König . Her children , Elizabeth and Thomas , are appalled that their mother could have married their adopted brother , but , even worse , that she has rejected their name : Böttcher .
The translation of Der Nachname is , of course , “ the last name .” This is a sequel to Sönke Wortmann ’ s film Der Vorname (“ the first name ”), which was based on the French play Le Prénom and showed to great success in 2018 . The cast of the original film are back for our entertainment . Whereas Der Vorname concentrated on one topic , i . e ., the name of a new baby , Der Nachname jumps between several
Der Nachname continued on Page 34