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    • New Talents Open Call
      Eastern Neighbours Film Festival (ENFF) began in The Netherlands in 2008 with the idea to offer Dutch and international audiences a unique glimpse into the cinema of their neighbors from Eastern and Southern Europe. This annual event presents the most recent, exciting, and thought‐provoking films, from countries with small, but often powerful film industries, that… Read more: New Talents Open Call
    • ENFF 2023 On Demand!
      Unable To attend the festival in person? No problem! From November 27th to December 3rd, we’re thrilled to bring you a curated selection of this year’s films available for online viewing! Catch our captivating Opening Film Ivan’s Land, or the touching Closing Film Seventh Heaven. Or explore a collection of shorts from the New Talents Competition! Follow along… Read more: ENFF 2023 On Demand!
    • What’s up in Slovak Cinema? A conversation with Monika Lostakova
      We talked with Monika Lošťáková about contemporary Slovak cinema.
    • ENFF and the Eastern European Film Festival Network!
      The Eastern European Film Festival Network brings together five film festivals dedicated to promoting and showcasing Eastern European cinema, alongside one partner organisation.
    • Masterclasses
      Through these masterclasses we approach two memory in film from different angles: memories from a personal or collective recollection through archive material.
    • Work in Progress
      In Work in Progress, emerging filmmakers and artists will present their works in development to the audience and engage in discussions with Dutch experts.
    • Festival Timetable Available!
    • Check out the catalogue for our 2023 edition!
    • Music at ENFF
      Every year, ENFF brings special musical guests who bring beauty to the program and further represent the rich cultures of their countries to a Dutch audience.
    • Film Marathon
      Join us for the Film Marathon, a new concept in which we merge two components, Short Films, Big Stories, and New Talents Competition into a whole-day screening of short films!

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