Blerta Basholli’s “Hive” won the Antigone d’Or at the CINEMED festival in Montpellier, an award worth €15,000.
Jury president Asia Argento explains their choice: “The film moved us with the courage of its words, the poignant interpretation of the actress who embodies, with such overwhelming strength, the tenacity of a woman who refuses to back down in the face of bullying.” Begun in 2011 and based on a true story, “Hive” is Blerta Basholli’s first feature. She has a unique, realistic visual style, both as director and writer, her stories addressing the social and gender issues of Kosovo, the country where she was born and brought up.
“Hive”, based on a true story
The real Fahrije Hoti was working as a seamstress when Serbian paramilitary forces stormed her village. She fled to Albania with her children, returning several months later to find their village destroyed, her husband vanished. To support her family Fahrije created a food business, “Krusha”, run by women and employing around 50, mostly widows. Together, these women supply 28 markets across Kosovo.
20 years after the end of the war, Fahrije’s husband Bashkim is still among the missing, and Fahrije still searching for him.
Launched in 1979, CINEMED, the Montpellier-based Mediterranean Film Festival, pursues its cultural goal of “understanding the film cultures of the Mediterranean basin, the Black Sea, Portugal and Armenia.” This year, CINEMED welcomed nearly 55,000 spectators and organized 150 side-shows including discussions and professional events. 14 projects were submitted for the Development Support Fund, 8 for the Du Court au long writing programme, 5 for the Région Occitanie award, and 4 in the Short Film Talent category. The next CINEMED is scheduled for October 21st to 29th 2022.
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Sources: cinemed.tm.fr
