Kaplanoglu clinches Turkey's second Berlinale win

Turkish filmmaker Semih Kaplanoglu's newest drama "Bal" (Honey) became the proud recipient of the coveted Golden Bear award at this year's Berlin International Film Festival Saturday night, bringing the prestigious title to Turkey for only the second time in the festival's 60-year history. "Honey" came away with the top prize in a surprise decision that few pundits foresaw. The jury, led by German director Werner Herzog and including Hollywood actress Renee Zellweger, decided to honor the minimalist, slow-paced story about a son's love for his beekeeper father. "I hope to be able to show feelings – love, emotion and hope, also the pleasure in living – and hope my films can trigger these emotions too," Kaplanoglu said of "Honey," the final installment in his Trilogy of Yusuf, which began in 2007 with "Yumurta" (Egg), followed in 2008 by "Süt" (Milk). Following the awards ceremony, Kaplanohlu told reporters that another Turkish film winning the Golden Bear 46 years after "Susuz Yaz" (Dry Summer), Metin Erksan's 1964 story of a greedy tobacco farmer, was pivotal for Turkish cinema. "This prize has a great significance for art house filmmaking in Turkey … where movie theaters have a sort of blockade" against certain types of films, the director said. "I hope this prize breaks down this barrier and helps art house filmmakers' works … to reach more theaters and moviegoers." Critics praised the powerful simplicity of "Honey," shot in lush mountain forests in Turkey's eastern Black Sea Region.