Film Reviews by dspc

This is a beautifully told story of rural life in mountainous Macedonia where a single woman ekes out a frugal existence while caring for her aged and bed-ridden mother. Her sole income comes from the sale of honey which she collects from her hives and wild bee-colonies; it is interrupted by the arrival of a livestock farmer next door who tries to set up bee hives in competition.

The worry of the damage done to bee stocks by this development is gently counterpointed by the affecton she feels for the young children of the farming family who are also suffering from poor agricultural market conditions; eventually they fail and have to move back to the city.

The intimacy of the tale is highlighted by wonderful photography and a sympathetic examination of rural life in the Macedonian highlands.

This is an astonishing film; based on the day-to-day horror of the slaughter of a concentration camp, the main character, Saul, finds some release in concealing the body of a young victim of torture and attempting to achieve a religious burial in the face of unremitting hatred, both from guards and also, fellow prisoners. It is a story of unending desperation, filmed in intimate close-up with excellent camera work, which captures the hopelessness of the prisoners in their labours of hell. It is not an easy film to watch but the lasting impression is one of rare cinematic achievement.

Highly recommended!