Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 5 February 2020
Making Oscar history,

'Honeyland' shatters borders

By JAKE COYLE "a national hero." "People that community. Stefanov
AP Film Writer are obviously tired of fake and Kotevska used an
NEW YORK (AP) — Ljubomir heroes that are beyond ev- off-road vehicle to reach
Stefanov and Tamara eryone," says Kotevska. Muratova's home and in
Kotevska were in a hard- "Honeyland" has already two-to-three day stretch-
to-reach area of Northern made history. It's the first es stayed in tents nearby
Macedonia — about as film ever nominated for while shooting. In winter, it
far from the Oscars as pos- both best documentary was too cold the stay the
sible — when they came and best international night. All told, they spent
This image released by Neon shows Hatidze Muratova in a
scene from "Honeyland," nominated for an Oscar for best docu- upon the beekeeper who film, the category formerly three years filming and ac-
mentary and best international feature film. would be their subject in dubbed best foreign lan- cumulated more than 400
Associated Press their acclaimed documen- guage film. The dual hon- hours of footage.
tary "Honeyland." While ors make "Honeyland" a Most strikingly, Muratova
working on a short video quietly revolutionary Oscar often spoke Turkish, includ-
commissioned by a nature nominee, one that speaks ing in the scenes with her
conservancy project, the to both the increasingly mother, a language that
filmmakers met Hatidze boundless nature of docu- the Macedonian filmmak-
Muratova, a middle-aged mentary filmmaking and ers don't speak. They were
woman who ekes out a the specific greatness of often shooting purely from
hardscrabble and solitary "Honeyland." a visual standpoint. Only
existence harvesting honey The film tracks Muratova's later, after assembling a
with ancient, sustainable life, including astoundingly cut of the film, did they get
methods across the craggy intimate scenes with her transcripts of what they
mountainous landscape mother, Nazife, and her had shot. Surprisingly few
of the former Yugoslav re- sustainable methods of changes were necessary.
public while caring for her wild beekeeping. Murato- "Honeyland," which is cur-
half-blind and bedridden va takes half of the honey rently streaming on Hulu
mother in a modest home and leaves the other half and available to rent on
without electricity. for the bees, a balance Amazon and elsewhere,
In Muratova, they rec- that allows the combs to has tried to funnel some
ognized not just a noble, continue and flourish. But of its success back to its
almost timeless figure of when a chaotic and unruly subjects. Jars of honey are
environmental symbolism family of nine moves in next for sale with proceeds go-
but an inspiring charac- door and tries to crudely ing to Muratova and the
ter deserving of attention. practice beekeeping with Sam family — which now
Muratova hadn't set out to less patience, "Honeyland" numbers 10. (They had an-
live in near isolation; while becomes a starkly simple other child on the day of
her village dwindled, she environmental allegory. the movie's Sundance pre-
stayed behind to care for Stefanov believes this ele- miere.)
her mother. "Honeyland" is, mental conflict is why their Modern life seems very dis-
in a way, her liberation. film, which won several top tant in "Honeyland," but it
"This woman is somebody prizes at last year's Sun- makes occasional cameos.
who is a true talent and dance Film Festival, has so Muratova travels by foot
a great lover of humans," resonated. The neighbors to the Macedonia capital
Kotevska said in an inter- — Hussein Sam, his wife of Skopje to sell her honey
view by phone alongside and their seven children and buy a few necessities,
Stefanov. "She's an extro- — aren't exactly villains; like hair dye. But the Os-
vert. But life conditions they're doing their best cars will be a far greater
brought her where she is. while saddled with debts rush of modernity for Mura-
She was trapped in that and many mouths to feed. tova. The filmmakers, who
life. When we showed up, "It shows how greediness arrived in Los Angeles last
it was a way of freedom works on a very basic lev- week, can't wait to see it.
for her. It was a way of ex- el," says Stefanov. "It will be very exciting for
pressing her life and her "It's a community of three everyone," says Kotevska.
story to us." people. It would be the "Honeyland," they hope, is
Of all the personalities that same if you had thousands a sign of old borders disin-
will be coming to the Acad- with an optimal livelihood tegrating.
emy Awards on Sunday, and somebody came and "A good story is a good sto-
few can hold a candle to said, 'Hey, I will give you ry no matter where it comes
Hatidze. She will be there, more.' That sentence is the from. What's important is
the filmmakers say, in what strongest reason why we that we can see it," says
promises to be both an as- are facing what we are to- Kotevska. "'Honeyland' be-
tounding culture clash and day." ing nominated in these two
a triumphant moment for "What we found in this com- categories just shows that
a humble, heroic woman munity is something that is eventually the form of film
who never sought the spot- everywhere in the world," will change. The genre will
light. he adds. not be that important. It will
In Macedonia, Kotevska It took an unusual amount not be put in a folder. It will
says, she's living the role of of dedication to capture be more free storytelling."q