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| Source: filmposter-archiv.de |
There are barely any words to describe this quiet, mesmerising drama about the son of a traditional Turkish beekeeper. It is nothing short of a masterpiece. The story is told from the perspective of 7-year-old Yusuf, spell-bindingly portrayed by Bora Altas. While all roles benefited from brilliant casting, the film most certainly sat squarely on his young shoulders, and he managed to bring his character to live in such an organic, natural way that it felt almost like watching a documentary. What’s more, he did all this with subtle body language and his eyes, having barely any dialogue to aid him.
The audience watches the beautiful relationship he has with his father, displayed in him helping with the bees, but also his struggles at school and his lonely existence with only his parents for company, as he is seemingly without friends. The camera puts the weight of its focus on Yusuf's view of the world, his little struggles and small victories, while the grown-ups live in the background - until events forces his little world to converge more and more with that of the rest of the community.
The relationships between the characters were poignantly portrayed with minimal exposition and a lot of feeling for small gestures, and the animals seemed just as much members of the cast as everyone else.
The visuals were absolutely awe-inspiring. Gorgeous long takes in combination with the brilliant acting made this a joy to watch and very hard to look away from. The breath-taking nature footage showed a corner of the world that is rarely seen on TV, much less in a film, and painted it in glorious colours. Every frame seemed a carefully composed and illuminated work of art. The simple life of the humans captured on camera made this film feel like a time capsule, eliciting a sweet kind of nostalgia. The rich sounds of nature substitute for a more traditional score, of which there is not a single note in this film.
A truly memorable piece. 5/5
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