Honey

On the windswept eastern flank of the Black Sea, a six year old boy named Yusuf treks through pine and moss seeking traces of his father, a beekeeper whose livelihood hinges on healthy hives. The bees have vanished, the family faces an uncertain future, and a troubling accident fragments their daily routines. With little dialogue to anchor the story, the film lets the forest speak in its rhythm, turning birdsong, wind, and rustling leaves into its soundtrack. Yusuf's world is one of patient, often wordless observation, as he and his mother Zehra and the taciturn father inhabit a landscape that seems to hold both danger and solace. Kaplanoglu draws a tight line between memory and loss through these quiet moments.

Directed by Semih Kaplanoğlu with a screenplay by Orçun Köksal, Honey unfolds from an original story rather than a film adaptation, showcasing Kaplanoğlu's quiet, intimate approach to Turkish drama and its presence in international art-house circuits and select theatres worldwide.

Reception centered on its restraint and atmosphere, with critics noting how the film communicates through silence as much as image and gesture. It asks how memory survives absence and how a child forms meaning when speech seems ineffective. Nature is treated as mood, memory, and a custodian of fragile connections.

Box office data for Honey is not widely reported, reflecting its release in limited cinemas and festival circuits outside major markets. It has screened at several international festivals and received a restrained national release and some reviews in Turkish press.

While not a blockbuster, the film has drawn notice among critics for its austere visuals and the way it renders rural life as a living landscape. Its emphasis on sound and space invites viewers to consider humanity's connection with the forest and memory, rewarding watchers who pause on soft light.