Turkish film "Bal" wins Golden Bear

The Turkish drama "Bal", or "Honey", has achieved sweet success at the Berlin film festival after winning the Golden Bear for best picture.

Honey is the final instalment of director Semih Kaplanoglu's trilogy which began with "Milk" and "Egg". Critics praised the powerful simplicity of the movie, which has no score and only sparse dialogue and plot, about six-year-old Yusuf, who ventures into the woods to find his missing father, a beekeeper.

Reacting to Saturday's award, Kaplanoglu told German television it's the first time a Turkish film has taken the top prize at the Berlin film festival since 1964.

The Silver Bear for Best Director went to Roman Polanski for "The Ghost Writer". Polanski is under house arrest in Switzerland pending extradition to the United States on a three-decades-old "unlawful sex" charge.

Producer Bettina Brokemper (L), Turkish director Semih Kaplanoglu (C) and producer Johannes Rexin pose with Golden Bear award for Best Film for Kaplanoglu's movie "Bal - Honey" during a news conference at the 60th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin February 20, 2010. REUTERS/Christian Charisius