Yllka Gashi, a well known actress in Kosovo, is simply amazing and is deserving of more world recognition. Blerta Basholli, who graduated from NYU film school, then headed back to her native country, directs this with a very real and naturalistic element, employing handheld camera work and using non-actors from the town where it was shot. Winning the World Cinematic audience, directing and Grand Jury awards, Hive is the first film ever from Kosovo to play at the festival. It tells the true story of Fahrije Hoti who, after the war ended in 1999, made the decision to fight against that society's patriarchal and religious traditions by starting a business to make homemade ajvar, a roasted sauce made primary from red peppers that is a staple of the region. Enlisting other women from the village, she has to fight through insults, attacks and worse to create a flourishing female-run business that still stands today - all the while dealing with the uncertainty of knowing the whereabouts of her husband who, like many men during the war, were taken away (and most killed) by the Serbian Army in an attempt at ethnic cleansing. It’s an important look at the past that resonates strongly here in the present. A fine actor in his own right, LaKeith Stanfield’ give a gloriously nuanced performance as Bill O’Neill who vacillating between helping an organization he realizes cares little for him past the intel he brings, and one whose importance he is helping to destroy, while never accepting his culpability. The scenes showing Hampton’s speeches are nothing short of electrifying. Daniel Kaluuya, making a strong case as one of the best actors working today, gives a magnetic portrayal as Hampton, eerily looking (he gained significant weight for the role) and sounding very much like the man.
All of this would make for a great film but what puts it over the top is the performances of the two leads. Director Shaka King imbues the film with a passion, energy and a look that fully immerses the audience in the period. The film focuses on the surveillance and eventual killing, in December 1969, of Chairman Fred Hampton, the head of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, by FBI director J Edgar Hoover and his sinister Cointelpro program, using a car thief turned informant named Bill O’Neil.
Shown as a special premiere ahead of its debut on HBO Max (streaming now), this is just one of a number of strong films this year that takes a look at events in the history of the civil rights struggle. CODA most deservedly took home the US dramatic audience award, the US directing award and US dramatic Grand Jury Prize, and in a nod to the film’s humor, had the actor Troy Kotsur, who plays the father, in his acceptance speech sign “I’m Handless.” Both are also a long overdue call for more prominent films that embrace stories about and involving the disabled. The film is a perfect compliment to Sound of Metal, a film revolving around hearing loss that came out earlier this year. The soundtrack, featuring among others, The Shaggs, The Clash and most significantly, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “You’re All I Need to Get By” and Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”, is top notch.
The entire cast is exceptional with Emilia Jones, who plays Ruby, a sensational standout. At times, the film is predictable but it’s done in such an honest way that you never feel cheated. As the camera pulls back into the audience while she is singing, the sound suddenly goes off and we are given a taste of what a non hearing person must deal with in these situations: the father confused and looking around getting his reaction cues from the faces of other audience members. Take for instance a scene where the family comes to Ruby’s concert. Director Sian Heder deftly handles the drama and humor with some real flair. As such, she has been the conduit to the hearing world her entire life and now has to choose between remaining with her family and helping with their struggling fishing business or break out on her own to pursue a study of music. A remake of a French film, 2014’s La Famille Belier, it’s the story of Ruby Rossi, 17 years old and the only hearing member of a deaf family in Gloucester, MA. An acronym that stands for Children of Deaf Adults, CODA is also the title of a beautiful, funny, touching film that was maybe the best feature I saw all week and, ironically, was the first film screened.
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