Hive (Kovan)

Hope she gets well soon. Goodbye.

Goodbye. Thank you.

I tried to take the first flight.

How long has she been like this?

She was hospitalized for a week.

Then the doctor said to rest at home.

Why didn’t you tell me?

I’m not crying because I’m scared of dying.

Praise be, my faith is strong.

Ayşe,

listen to me.

I’m leaving the bee yard to you.

Take good care of my bees.

You know that’s my biggest fear.

I can’t do it.

You can do it.

No, I can’t.

You can do it, Ayşe.

Cinnamon died last year. Grandma really loved him.

Animals meant almost as much to her as we did.

Karabaş.

Karabaş? His name was J.R.

J.R.?

She even had a grave dug.

Really? Where?

Where the hives are. I’ll take you if you want.

-My condolences. -Thank you.

My condolences.

My condolences.

Ayşe, my dear.

You’ve changed so much.

I dreamt about Mom for months.

She kept telling me I was late again.

"Late for what," I would ask.

"You’re late again," she’d say.

You expect me to take out a loan again for people I don’t even know?

Do you know how many people go bankrupt opening cafes? I can’t take it anymore.

The contract says the money needs to be in my account by Monday.

How am I supposed to handle that here? Can’t you handle anything on your own?

I’m at the end of my rope. I’ve got two days to organize this.

What’s that supposed to mean?

My mother died and you’re talking nonsense.

Let me say it again.

If I don’t transfer that amount by Monday, we’ll lose the shop.

Tell them to go to hell. Find someone else to bail you out.

Hello?

Hello?

Reception’s bad there. Go higher up.

PRODUCING A QUEEN BEE

If you want me to return, why did you send me to Germany in the first place?

I don't belong here anymore.

Do you want me to smell like manure

and spend all day listening to gossip?

I don't smell like manure and I don't gossip. I'm busy with my bees.

My bees, my bees. That's all you talk about.

You're the one who said your father didn't send you to school because of the bees.

You wanted to study but you stayed ignorant.

Maybe I'm ignorant but the money from the bees put you through school.

Cemile was such a hardworking woman.

Always tending the garden and orchard.

Who’s going to do it now?

I’m stuck with the whole vegetable garden.

There are apple trees in Şavşat. Animals.

And now my mother-in-law insists I come and help her with the housework.

That’s tough. What about the bee yard?

The bee yard?

We’ll have to sell it.

The Galips sued us again.

They didn’t even wait until a week after Mom’s death.

They’ll take everything we have.

I’m going to sell the bee yard to cover court costs.

You were little.

I took you to the forest.

Never forget this hive, okay?

When you grow up, even if you go to the other side of the world

never forget this wild honeycomb hive.

I forgot, Mom.

Forgive me.

I forgot.

I’m sorry.

Take good care of my bees.

Sister, we’re not selling the bee yard.

It’s a bad year.

There won’t be any honey.

Caucasian bees will be stressed.

They won’t make honey in this rain.

They’re delicate.

Pull it over. Grab the sides.

-Are you okay? -I’m fine.

Don’t be scared.

I’m not.

I’m not afraid.

If you’re ready, I’ll open it.

Don’t wave your arms. They’ll know you’re scared.

-Don't shout. -It stung me!

-Help me, Ahmet. The bee stung me. -Okay. I'm coming.

I’m coming. Hang on. Stop yelling.

I’ll get it off you. Keep still.

Pull it off your head.

Calm down. Let me see.

-I’ll put some ammonia on it. -It hurts so bad.

Didn't you say there weren't any holes?

I said to keep still.

They'd know you were scared.

One minute.

But you're lucky. You won't get sick all winter.

The bees immunized you.

Thank you, Ahmet.

What did I tell you? It’s too much even for me.

You’re scared of bees. They’ll sting you out of spite.

I can conquer my fear.

You’re really…

Mom’s death has done something to your head.

Don’t worry. Everything’s under control.

Don’t touch it too much.

The swelling’s gone down a bit.

Caucasian bees are like humans.

If you love them, they won’t hurt you.

They’ll produce honey.

If you neglect them, they’ll die out.

Rain’s on the way again.

If this continues,

there won’t be any honey.

Honey’s dripping from your mouth again.

Are the new hives on the way?

No worries. They’ll be here tomorrow.

Come on.

Anything wrong, Miss Ayşe?

-That’s not a Caucasian bee. -No, it’s not.

-What are we going to do with it? -We’re putting it in the hive.

Miss Ayşe, this is the center of Caucasian bee genes.

You can’t put in a different species.

These bees can see in the rain.

Okay, Ahmet?

Come on, let’s put the English queen in the hive.

-I won’t do it. -What do you mean, you won’t do it?

I won’t spoil their genes. You’ll spoil their genes.

Will you put this queen in the hive?

I’ll only put Caucasian bees in the hive.

Then I’ll work with someone who will do it, Ahmet.

I'm asking you for the last time. Shall I work with someone else?

First, we’ll need to find the queen and kill her.

Ahmet?

If we put your queen in there straightaway, they’ll kill her.

They need to feel motherless for a while.

Seven hundred.

Sister, where are you going?

To my mother-in-law’s for a week.

I’m entrusting the house, the bees and everything else to you.

You’re leaving me all alone for a week?

It’ll be fine. Call Fikret and the others if you need anything.

Stop feeding the cats.

They are sitting on their asses all day.

They should be hunting the mice.

Air the hazelnuts every day.

Get going, son.

I hope it’s not too hard for you.

Who knows? You might even have honey by the time I get back.

-How many hives arrived? -All twenty. No worries.

All right. Here you go.

Thank you.

-See you later, Miss Ayşe. -See you.

At first, I thought it was a boar. Then it reared up on its hind legs.

It was huge.

I thought I was yelling. But I was only yelling in my head.

My jaw froze up.

We looked at each other. Then it went off on all fours.

Miss Ayşe,

you chased away a bear?

I didn’t realize it was a bear at first.

All I could think about was protecting my hives.

I wasn’t able to yell.

How many hives did it destroy?

Eight so far.

I haven’t had a chance to check them all.

Miss Ayşe was here.

Bravo to Miss Ayşe.

We really admire your courage as a woman beekeeper.

I got used to bees as a girl.

What are we going to do about the bears?

The bears are untouchable around here.

Untouchable?

-Aren’t you going to cover our losses? -We can’t.

-Why not? -If you were insured, perhaps.

It’s a natural disaster. Like flooding or an earthquake.

Aren’t wild animals covered?

No, they aren’t.

That’s ridiculous. Isn’t anyone protecting us?

Aren’t you going to do something?

What, do you expect me to drop everything and stand guard here?

Kemal.

You should put up a fence. See if it comes back for honey then.

Ahmet, from now on we’re on duty at night.

We put up a fence. Is there any need to stand guard?

There is, Ahmet. We can’t risk it.

When she came, the bear came too.

Demir! Look, Demir!

Don’t force it. You’ll sink deeper. Wait.

-What should I do? -Find some rocks.

-Flat ones. Okay? -Okay.