White as Salt

Turkey’s shimmering Tuz Lake, the country’s second-largest lake, supplies 70% of its salt, even as its waters recede due to climate change. Here villagers still harvest pure, untreated salt. For widower Salih, salt is more than a livelihood – it’s survival. Before dawn, he rides out on his loyal horse Fedai with his daughter Zeliş, gathering salt at sunrise and sharing the harvest with neighbours.

But when Salih’s friend Muhtar yields to the mayor’s orders and a greedy corporation claims the lake’s salt rights, villagers are barred from the shore and threatened with losing their horses. Salih refuses to give in. He makes forbidden journeys, devises schemes to outwit the ever-watchful gendarmes, and relies on his honest heart and loyal accomplices.

Set against the vast expanse of Tuz Lake, this raw, thrilling, western-inspired drama pairs breathtaking scenery with urgent environmental concerns as machines scar the land and frighten flamingos. At its core, it’s the story of an overlooked, resilient man who dares to defy corruption.

Edvinas Pukšta