A Fateful Encounter and an Unearthly Journey:
“The Last Honey Hunter” isn’t just a tale, it’s a voyage through fate’s weaving threads, where 20 years ago, in the heartbeat of Kathmandu, destinies collided as Renan met Ben Ayers. This meeting paved the way for a journey into Nepal’s most secluded realms, where the echo of ancient whispers and the brush of unseen spirits unfold a mystical tapestry of life, cultural richness, and spiritual essence.
Connecting Worlds and Cultures:
Ben Ayers, woven into the fabric of Nepal’s unseen and marginalized communities, found a companion in Maule Dhan Rai, a soul from the enigmatic Kulung tribe. Their friendship blossomed into a symbiosis of worlds where men dance on high cliffs with the world’s largest bees to embrace the essence of hallucinogenic honey, a nectar shrouded in myths and spirits.
A Confluence of Creativity and Exploration:
Ben and Renan, with the essence of exploration in their hearts, ignited the flame of storytelling with National Geographic. This confluence brought forth a visual symphony, a magazine article, and a short film, blending the ink of Mark Synnott’s words, the lenses of Ben Knight’s vision, and the aura of Renan’s stills, creating a mystical narrative steeped in shamanic rituals, the whispers of the forest, and the dance of the bees.
Embarking on the Shamanic Voyage:
A voyage through the mists of dreams, woodsmoke, and ancient spirits, the project became a mirror reflecting the enigma of the honey harvest leader and his final communion with the unseen. It’s not just a story; it’s a cascade of emotions, questions, and revelations, touching the chords of the unseen and the known, receiving the whispers of the spirits and the songs of the bees, traversing through rain and leeches to bring forth a myriad of international awards and an Academy Award qualification.
Acknowledging the Silent Custodians:
The journey, the story, the essence of “The Last Honey Hunter” would not have been possible without the silent custodians of this mystical land, the dZi Foundation, and the trust and embrace of the Kulung community. It’s a celebration of their spirit, their heritage, and their unseen world.
In Partnership with:
Expedition Studios and Felt Soul Media.com, dZi Foundation, and National Geographic.
Conclusion:
“The Last Honey Hunter” is more than a film; it is a journey through realms untold, worlds unseen, and spirits unheard. It’s a mystical tapestry, weaving threads of cultural heritage, spiritual essence, and human connection. It’s a dance with the spirits and the bees, a whisper of the ancient and the sacred, a reflection of life, death, and the transformation in-between. It’s a tribute to the unseen custodians of these realms, to the spirits of the forest, and to the essence of humanity’s mystical heritage.
'The Last Honey Hunter' - Behind the Scenes
Awards
The Cartel Award for Best Documentary* | Camden International Film festival
Grand Prize | Krakow Mountain Film Festival
Best Film Mountain Culture | Banff Mountain Film Festival
Best Culture and Nature Film | Bilbao Mendi Film Festival
Best Visuals | Kendal Mountain Film Festival
Best Short Documentary | Bend Film festival
Audience Choice Award | Kathmandu International Film Festival
Best Cinematography | New York Wild Film Festival
Audience Choice Short Documentary | Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Crew
Directed and Edited by Ben Knight
Principle Cinematography by Ben Knight and Renan Ozturk
Produced by Ben Ayers, Renan Ozturk and Travis Rummel
Associate Producer — Jeff Resnick
Additional Cinematography — Matt Irving, Ben Ayers, Taylor Rees
Aerial — Renan Ozturk
