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    • NTC Award Ceremony
      New Talent Competition gives young filmmakers from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe the opportunity to present their outstanding debut or second film to the public. Join us on Sunday 1 December at 19h
    • Music at ENFF
      The Eastern Neighbours Film Festival welcomes special musical guests each year to enrich our program. For this 16th edition, we’re thrilled to present two talented young musicians: guitarist Antonio Peršak (CR) and violinist İdil Yunkuş (TR). Together, they will perform a traditional Balkan dance and folk song, highlighting the beauty of this music through the… Read more: Music at ENFF
    • Masterclass with Janez Burger
      This masterclass presents a unique opportunity to explore Burger's distinct storytelling style, genre use, and exploration of contemporary social issues. Join us on Saturday 30 November at 17h - Room 5
    • Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema
      Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema on Friday 29 November at 18h

Visually stunning, compelling and masterly narrated, Honeyland is a must-see epic makes us ponder over the delicate balance between nature and humans. The first documentary ever to receive Oscar nomination in two categories at this year’s Academy Awards! A beautiful and miraculous celebration of living with nature, and a celebration of the Eastern European documentary cinema.

The screening of this Macedonian thought-provoking film with marvellous photography, will be accompanied by the director of photography Samir Ljuma, who will give the Masterclass after the screening. Join us on Wednesday 9 December at 19:00 hours in Louis Hartlooper Complex in Utrecht.

Country: North Macedonia Subtitles: English Year: 2019 Length: 89 min Director: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov Screenplay: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov Editing: Atanas Georgiev Cinematography: Fejmi Daut, Samir Ljuma Cast: Hatidze Muratova, Nazife Muratova, Hussein Sam Production: Atanas Georgiev – Trice Films

Synopsis

Hatidze, a Macedonian village woman, devoted her whole life to beekeeping and selling honey. She lives high in the mountains, being isolated and lonely. She is probably the last female wild beekeeper in Europe who nourishes the ancient style of working, trying to save the bees and maintain the natural balance in their environment. Her Honeyland gets invaded by a big family of nomadic beekeepers, who make her happy and sad. Their bee keeping techniques threaten her wild bees and her own livelihood. This film revolves around Hatidze’s struggle to save the bees, her day-to-day modest surviving needs, while taking care of her old and bedridden mother. The directors, to whom this film is a debut in the feature-length production, observed for three years their protagonist patiently, meticulously investing not only time but lots of love as well.

Festivals & Awards

Academy Awards, USA 2020 – Oscar nominee | Sundance Film Festival, 2019 – World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize, Special Jury Award, Cinematography Award | Sarajevo Film Festival 2019 – Audience Award

Video introduction by Macedonian-Dutch musician Aleksandra Popovska

ENFF Newsletter