Honeyland (Medena Zemja)
Ajyal Competition
Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov / Feature Documentary / North Macedonia / 2019 / 85 min / Colour / DCP
In Turkish
Interests: Documentary
Synopsis
Deep in an isolated mountain region within the Balkans, Hatidze Muratova lives with her mother in a desolate village without electricity or running water. The last in a long line of Macedonian wild beekeepers, she ekes out a living collecting honey, which she sells at a market in the nearest city. Just as worker bees dedicate their lives to taking care of the queen bee that never leaves her hive, Hatidze too has committed her own life to her blind and paralyzed mother—unable to leave their ramshackle hut. One day, Hatidze’s isolated existence is thrown into upheaval by the arrival of an itinerant family, with their roaring engines, seven rambunctious children and a herd of cattle.
At first, Hatidze welcomes her new neighbours with open arms, offering up her affections and tried-and-true beekeeping advice. But it doesn’t take long before Hussein, the itinerant family’s patriarch, senses an opportunity—making a series of decisions that could destroy Hatidze’s way of life forever. A strikingly beautiful and disarmingly poignant allegory about the impact of modern agriculture, ‘Honeyland’ is a metaphor for a wider notion of how closely intertwined nature and humanity are, and how much we stand to lose if we ignore this critical connection.
About the Directors
Tamara Kotevska graduated in film directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts Skopje. She has five years of experience in documentary and fiction filmmaking as a freelance film director, and is currently living and working in Skopje.
Ljubomir Stefanov has over 20 years of experience in the development and production of communication concepts and documentaries related to environmental issues and human development. She has worked for clients such as UN agencies, Euronatur, and Swisscontact.
Credits
- Director
- Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov
- Screenwriter
- Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov
- Producer
- Atanas Georgiev
- Editor
- Atanas Georgiev
- Co-Producer
- Ljubomir Stefanov
- Music
- Foltin
- Cinematographer
- Fejmi Daut, Samir Ljuma
- Sales Company
- Deckert Distribution GmbH
- Production Company
- Trice Films, Apolo Media
- Sound
- Rana Eid
- Distributor
- Deckert Distribution GmbH
- Cast
- Hatidze Muratova, Nazife Muratova, Hussein Sam, Ljutive Sam, Mustafa Sam, Muzafer Sam, Veli Sam, Ali Sam, Alit Sam, Gamze Sam, Ljutvish Sam, Safet Javorovac