Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, the Macedonian directors of the dual Oscar-nominated documentary “Honeyland,” are prepping several new projects, Variety has learned exclusively.
The directing duo are looking to build on the success of their debut, a moving portrait of a lone beekeeper struggling to preserve a traditional way of life, which was nominated for Academy Awards in the documentary and international film categories.
Kotevska is currently financing her debut fiction feature, with the working title “Man vs. Flock,” a story of intergenerational conflict that looks at the rift between old-fashioned values and the rapid pace of modern life. Kotevska is co-producing with Stefanov and hopes to begin shooting in 2021.
“Man vs. Flock” is the story of an old, stubborn peasant who is proud of his roots and land; his modern, independent daughter who is trying to escape from the traditional role assigned to her; and a young, adrenaline-addicted vlogger who wants to discover his roots but, through a series of misunderstandings, creates chaos along the way.
Kotevska is also producing and co-writing an anthology of five documentary short films about groundbreaking female Macedonian athletes, filmed with five different directors.
Popular on Variety
Stefanov is currently developing an animated feature about climate change, with the working title “Swiss Laundry.” Pic is inspired by the roughly 20 million refugees around the world who have been displaced by climate-related catastrophes and now exist without any formal legal status.
“For me, making movies is not just to tell different stories,” said Stefanov, who is in the early development stages. “My starting point is that there are issues that are interesting for me, and…that I think I know how to translate those issues into a language which is understandable universally.”