Bal

Mar 25 2011 Not Rated 1h 43m
Drama

In the remote and undeveloped eastern Black Sea region, a six-year-old boy (Yusuf) wanders through the woods searching for his lost father, trying to make sense of his life.His father is a beekeeper whose bees have disappeared unexpectedly, threatening his livelihood. A bizarre accident kills the father.There is little dialogue or music in the film. The three main characters (Yusuf and his parents) are all fairly taciturn, and the soundtrack is filled out with the sounds of the forest and the creatures that live there.The environment is a recurring theme.

Official Trailer
Plot

The young boy Yusuf's best friend is his father, who supports his family's modest life with the honey he collects from tall trees in the forests of the remote Turkish countryside. Yusuf is a quiet boy, and his mother is concerned for his future. Perhaps he will follow in his father's footsteps, or perhaps school will offer him other opportunities. But the honey crop is failing, and Yusuf has trouble learning how to read. The greatest fear strikes when Yusuf's father doesn't return home from the forest.

Written by

Semih Kaplanoglu, Orçun Köksal

Directed by

Semih Kaplanoglu

Cast

Bora Altas, Erdal Besikçioglu, Tülin Özen

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

France, Germany, Turkey

Production Companies

Eurimages, ZDF/Arte, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Kaplan Film, MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Heimatfilm

Languages

Türkçe

Awards

14 wins & 15 nominations

Trailers
BAL - HONIG (Goldener Bär 2010, Trailer)
Official Trailer
Scores
# of Votes
7,606
Average Rating
7.1 out of 10
Metascore
70
Popularity
NA