28/03/2011
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat / Spirituality&Prectice
Bal (Honey) Film Review

Directed by Semih Kaplanoglu
Olive Films 03/11 Feature Film

Six-year old Yusuf (Bora Altas) lives with his father Yakup (Erdal Besikçioglu) and mother Zehra (Tülin Özen) in the heavily wooded mountains of Rize province in northeast Turkey. His dad is a beekeeper who travels deep into the forest to hang specially made hives at the top of trees. It is not an easy job since it demands strength, balance, and agility.

Yusuf is very close to Yakup and one day wants to share a dream with him. His father asks him to whisper it in his ear so no one will know their secret. Yusuf's mother Zehra works on a tea plantation and also does all the house work. When the bees start disappearing in the region, his father goes on a long journey in search of more bees. Now the boy feels more isolated than ever.

At school, Yusuf stands at the window looking out on his classmates as they play together. His stutter has made him an outsider and a target of ridicule. He yearns to have the badge of honor for reading aloud bestowed on him. He fears failure and looking bad in his father's eyes.

Worried about Yakup, Zehra sends Yusuf to his grandmother's to spend the Holy Night of Miraj. But not even the story of the Ascension of the Prophet can lift the boy's spirit. When the festival of Sis Mountain brings all of the working men of the community together for a celebration, Zehra asks all around whether anyone has seen Yakup. When this search fails, the boy runs into the forest at night in a frantic quest to find his father. The forest is a place of enchantment, beauty, and mysteries. The boy enjoys the silence of the place and leans up against a tree all night.

Bal (Honey) is directed by Semih Kaplanoglu and is the third film in his "Yusuf Trilogy"; in Sut (Milk), Yusuf is university aged; in Yumurta (Egg), he is an adult. This beautifully photographed film about childhood and initiation into the adult world of mystery, beauty, and loss was Turkey's official selection for the 83rd Academy Award for Best Foreign Lanugage Film. With little dialogue and great attention to mood and small details, this is a drama that demands patience and an appreciation of the wonders of the natural world.

In one memorable scene set at nighttime, Yusuf sees an image of the moon reflected in a pail of water. He tries to cup it in his hands and pull it out of the water but only loses it. The water settles down and the moon appears again. There are many magical moments like this one in Bal (Honey)