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Keeping the Bees

Keeping the Bees

2019

Director

Eylem Kaftan

Runtime

93 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Ayşe returns to her hometown in northeastern Turkey to nurse her gravely ill mother. Before she dies, Ayse’s mother tells her that she will leave Ayse her much loved bee hives to manage. Ayse’s modern life has moved her away from the mountains of her childhood – a life in which the bees and their honey were central. But she puts her city life on hold to manage the bees, which provide a distraction from her grief. Ayse slowly starts to work with the local bee keeper to manage the hives but finds the lessons of her childhood are buried deep and the hives are more difficult to manage than she remembers. Ayse’s failure to pay needful attention to local advice sees her mothers bee hives seriously damaged, if not lost forever. What’s more a Caucasian bear becomes a real threat to her hives and her life.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.3/10

Fair

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The narrative centers on maternal bonds and heritage. There is no visible evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or non-heteronormative relationship dynamics.

Gender Representation

Good

Ayşe takes on a rugged, labor-intensive role in beekeeping, a position typically associated with male leadership. Her journey emphasizes professional competence and agency over domesticity.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

Set in northeastern Turkey, the film offers a culturally specific, non-Western setting. It focuses on regional identity rather than explicit interracial dynamics.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The story explores the friction between modern urbanity and traditional ancestral knowledge. It highlights the value of local customs and regional ecosystems.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no information available regarding characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Strengths

  • Strong female agency through a protagonist managing a traditionally male-dominated profession.
  • Authentic regional setting that provides a non-Western perspective on cultural identity.
  • Nuanced exploration of the divide between urban modernity and traditional rural knowledge.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lack of visible LGBTQ+ representation or non-heteronormative relationship dynamics.
  • Absence of characters representing diverse physical or neurodivergent abilities.
  • Limited exploration of themes beyond traditional familial and regional structures.

AI Analysis

Keeping the Bees offers a grounded, character-driven look at the tension between modern life and rural tradition. By centering on a female protagonist navigating a specialized, traditionally male-dominated field, the film provides a meaningful subversion of gendered labor expectations. While the film excels in regional specificity and gender agency, it lacks representation in other key areas. The narrative remains focused on traditional familial structures and lacks visible LGBTQ+ or disability-related storylines. Ultimately, the film serves as a nuanced alternative to Western-centric tropes by prioritizing local identity and the reclamation of ancestral skills.

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