Two films presented at the 59th Krakow Film Festival are included on the prestigious list of twelve documentary films with a chance to be nominated for the European Film Awards. One of them is the award-winning “Advocate,” recommended by the festival, directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche. And the second one is the film presented in the non-competing section, “Honeyland” by Ljubomir Stefanov and Tamara Kotevska.
The Krakow Film Festival turned out to be extremely lucky for “Advocate.” In addition to the recommendation for the European Film Awards, the documentary by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche won in the International Documentary Film Competition.
The protagonist of “Advocate” is Lea Tsemel who for fifty years has been defending the cases which are considered lost. This Israeli human rights activist became famous mainly as the defence counsel of Palestinians, also ones accused of terrorism. Being an ally for some, she immediately became a deadly enemy for others. From rich archives and current materials, a fascinating portrait of a steadfast woman emerges. From her husband’s and her children’s personal confessions we can learn what does it mean to live together with someone who is ready to take the greatest risks in the name of justice.
Honeyland dir. Ljubomir Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska 
Advocate dir. Rachel Leah Jones Philippe Bellaiche
The second film is “Honeyland”, directed by Ljubomir Stefanov and Tamara Kotevska. The documentary was shown in the non-competing section Film festivals award winners.
The documentary film is set somewhere in a far-away Macedonian province in a poor hut, where two women: mother and daughter live alone. The ailing 85-year-old elderly woman is aware of her impending death and patiently waits for her end, while her ageing daughter devotes herself to her work. The woman is a traditional beekeeper, which is the basic source of income for their very humble homestead. Unexpectedly, a multi-child family with all their belongings appears in the neighbourhood where the women live. The harmonious lives of the protagonists are disrupted.
The list of all award-winning documentary films can be found on the official website of the European Film Awards.