A woman's struggles to overcome Eastern Europe's civil unrest and lingering misogyny is retold in Director Blerta Basholli’s drama from Kosovo, Hive.

Basholli’s film recounts the true story of Fahrije, a woman who pulls together the other widows in her patriarchal village to launch a business selling a local food product. Their newfound independence draws the hostility of the men in the village who condemn their efforts, sparking a feud that threatens their sovereignty and the financial future of their families.

Hive earned Basholli the Directing Award, Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema – Dramatic category at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

On November 4, following the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s Global Cinema Series screening in the DGA’s New York Theater, Basholli joined Director Nicole Kassell (Watchmen) to discuss the making of Hive.

Asked by Kassell to comment on the film’s opening scene, Basholli revealed how meeting the real life Fahrije influenced her directorial decisions.

“She was so strong in front of me, talking about everything that she has gone through and I was like, ‘How do you start a film for that kind of character?’ There were always discussions of whether you should start it strong, or should she be weaker at the beginning and then more empowered and stronger towards the end. But for me that scene really throws you into what she's going through and gives you a hint of what kind of character we're dealing with.”

Hive is Basholli’s feature directorial debut.

You can listen to Basholli's Q&A by clicking the podcast episode embedded below. You can find more DGA podcast episodes here.