Honeyland (2019)

“Honeyland” (2019, USA, documentary, 87m, not rated)

Nestled in an isolated mountain region deep within the Balkans, Hatidze Muratova lives with her ailing mother in a village without roads, electricity or running water. She’s the last in a long line of Macedonian wild beekeepers, eking out a living farming honey in small batches to be sold in the city.

 Hatidze’s peaceful existence is thrown into upheaval by the arrival of an itinerant family, who upsets the natural order and provokes a conflict with Hatidze that exposes the fundamental tension between nature and humanity, harmony and discord, exploitation and sustainability. 

Even as the family provides a much-needed respite from Hatidze’s isolation and loneliness, her very means of survival are threatened.

Winner of the grand jury prize, cinematography and documentary awards at Sundance.