The closeness of the camera proposes an empathy with Fahrije, a kind of Anna Magnani of the Balkans, the queen bee who tries to rebuild her future without forgetting the past. The absence of men is almost as oppressive as their presence. The director uses simple but very effective elements, telling a moving story avoiding drama. And she achieves one of the strongest representations of the aftermath of war.

Like trying to scratch your foot with your shoes on, the desire is there but the feeling is too desensitized to be effective. Hive is the true story of a Kosovar woman whose husband goes missing during a massacre in the Kosovo war (1998-1999), and finds herself forced to pick up the pieces of her life in a society that frowns on women picking up the pieces of their lives. While I find the story fascinating, heartbreaking and inspiring, I find the film a little too restrained because in its restraint, it short changes Fahrije and her journey. [Note: On January 31, 2021 Hive became the first film in Sundance history to win all three main awards – the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award and the Directing Award – in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, so what the fuck do I know?]