Film: "Honeyland"
This stunning verité portrait of a Macedonian beekeeper (wait—come back!) transforms into a lyrical environmental fable when conflict arises with her unruly new neighbors.
This film is so rich in symbolism and colorful characters that it may prompt several double-takes to realize this is, in fact, a documentary. Originally commissioned to make a video about conservation efforts in Macedonia, filmmakers Ljubomir Stefanov and Tamara Kotevska spent three years with beekeeper Hatidze, shaping their observations on the rhythms and textures of rural life—more than 400 hours of footage—into a stirring tale of struggle, persistence and change.
In an abandoned Macedonian village, Hatidze tends to her precious bee colonies while also caring for an elderly and ailing mother in their candlelit stone hut. Suddenly, Hatidze's life is upended by the invasion of thankless new neighbors: a loud and clueless family, their 150 head of cattle; and soon their own bee colony, which poses a threat to Haditze's hives if they are improperly managed. The most awarded film out of this year's Sundance Film Festival, Honeyland is a visually stunning portrait of the delicate balance between nature and humanity that has something sweet for everyone.
