What Is Climates About?
The premise of Climates in 321 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the quiet hush of a sun‑kissed Mediterranean shoreline, a grieving professor seeks a fragile peace. Isa carries the weight of an unspoken loss, his days marked by the rhythm of waves and the endless cataloguing of ancient stones for a thesis that never quite finds its conclusion. The sea, both a refuge and a reminder, frames a world where the ordinary collides with the ache of memory, setting a tone that is at once lyrical and melancholy.
Across the water’s edge, a strained intimacy lingers between Isa and his partner, a woman whose presence both grounds and unsettles him. Bahar embodies the tension of a love caught between lingering affection and unspoken hurt, their interactions framed by the textures of sand, sun‑bleached streets, and the distant hum of a bustling coastal town. Their shared moments hint at a deeper history, a connection that feels both familiar and frayed, inviting the audience to wonder what lies beneath their quiet exchanges.
When the tide of their relationship recedes, Isa turns his gaze eastward, drawn by a restless need to confront the fragments of his past. The prospect of a journey across Turkey’s varied landscapes— from the temperate coast to the stark, snow‑capped horizons of the east— becomes a moving meditation on reconciliation. The road ahead is less a physical route than an emotional pilgrimage, a subtle promise that the answers he seeks may be found as much in the spaces between places as in the destinations themselves.
The film’s atmosphere blends the soft pastel of summer with the cooler tones of approaching winter, mirroring the internal shift of its characters. Through measured pacing, lingering shots of wind‑blown dunes and quiet cafés, and a soundtrack that swells with the sea’s sighs, the story invites viewers to sit with the ache of loss, the tentative hope of renewal, and the delicate dance of two people trying to rewrite the boundaries of their shared past.
What Happens in Climates?
The complete story of Climates, from the first scene to the last, in 299 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout.
Spoilers ahead
The film opens during a summer holiday in Kaş, where a couple’s conversations have drifted into silence. İsa, a university lecturer, passes his days taking photographs of ancient monuments for a thesis that remains unfinished, while Bahar watches from the sidelines. On the sun-soaked beach Bahar dozes and dreams that he is smothering her in sand, a troubling image that foreshadows the fragility of their trust.
After Bahar swims, İsa runs through his prepared speech and then reveals a difficult truth: he wants to break up. On the ride back to the city on a motorbike, Bahar unexpectedly covers his eyes with her hands, triggering a crash that leaves them uninjured but shaken. They part ways, and Bahar makes it clear that she does not want him to call.
As autumn arrives in Istanbul, the distance between them lingers. İsa reaches out to Serap, a woman with whom he once cheated, who is now in a relationship with an acquaintance of his. The connection to her rekindles old guilt and complicated emotions, adding a layer of tension to his efforts to navigate his own feelings and responsibilities.
Winter brings a new longing. İsa dreams of a sunny holiday but ends up in Ağrı, the snowy eastern province of Turkey, where Bahar is working as an art director filming a TV series on location. He tries to win her back, but Bahar remains cool to his advances, resisting reconciliation.
The story advances toward a delicate, unresolved moment: Bahar visits his hotel room and stays the night, yet in the morning he leaves alone. The film leaves us in a quiet, contemplative space, where memory, desire, and the choices they make shape a relationship that may survive the seasons’ chill but never fully erase the distance that has grown between them.
Climates Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Summer in Kaş: a fragile couple” to “Morning departure: he leaves alone”. 12 events name a place, across 7 locations.
- 1
Summer in Kaş: a fragile couple
A summer holiday in Kaş begins with a tense quiet between İsa and Bahar. İsa shoots photos of ancient monuments for his perpetually unfinished thesis while Bahar watches, both trying to pretend everything is fine. The distance between them is palpable even as they attempt to enjoy the break.
When:Summer Where:Kaş
- 2
Bahar's beach dream reveals hidden fear
On the beach, Bahar falls asleep and dreams that İsa is smothering her in sand. The dream exposes her subconscious fear about the relationship's pressure and fragility. When she wakes, the tension remains, unsettled by the still-unspoken problems between them.
When:Summer Where:Kaş Beach
- 3
İsa decides to break up
While Bahar swims, İsa rehearses his breakup speech. He finally tells her that he wants to break up, signaling the end of their romance. The admission turns the holiday into a prelude to separation.
When:Summer Where:Kaş
- 4
Bike crash on the return ride
During the motorbike ride back to the city, Bahar abruptly covers İsa's eyes with her hands, causing the bike to crash. They escape with minor injuries, but the incident becomes a physical reminder of their fractured trust. The scene marks the transition from a vacation romance to a breakup in motion.
When:Summer Where:Between Kaş and the city
- 5
Separation and a firm boundary
After the crash, the couple goes their separate ways. Bahar tells him not to call, making the breakup explicit. The distance between them widens as they each return to their own paths.
When:Summer Where:Kaş / Istanbul
- 6
İsa rekindles contact with Serap in Istanbul
Back in Istanbul in the fall, İsa makes contact again with Serap, the woman he previously cheated with. Serap is now in a relationship with an acquaintance of his, complicating İsa's feelings and responsibilities. The encounter exposes the unresolved consequences of İsa's past infidelity.
When:Fall Where:Istanbul
- 7
Old affair resurfaces and tensions rise
İsa's renewed contact with Serap stirs guilt and yearning, but he remains entangled with his past choices. The social circle around them becomes a stage where old wounds resurface. The fall atmosphere mirrors the shifting, uneasy mood between the couple and their circles.
When:Fall Where:Istanbul
- 8
Winter dream vs. reality: journey to Ağrı
Winter arrives as İsa dreams of a sun-drenched holiday, but instead flies to Ağrı, the snowy eastern province of Turkey. Bahar is there, working as art director on a TV series on location, a world apart from their summer memories. The trip sets the scene for a confrontation when they meet again.
When:Winter Where:Ağrı
- 9
Bahar on location in Ağrı
Bahar is in Ağrı directing a TV series on location, focusing on her own life and career. Her work contrasts with İsa's lingering wish to reconcile. Despite the distance, their paths begin to converge again on this remote set.
When:Winter Where:Ağrı
- 10
İsa's attempt is rejected
İsa tries to win Bahar back, but she rejects his advances and maintains her boundaries. The rejection underscores the damage caused by their past. It tests İsa's willingness to change and their future together.
When:Winter Where:Ağrı
- 11
Bahar visits his hotel room
Later, Bahar comes to İsa's hotel room and stays overnight, giving them a chance to talk and confront their history in person. They share silences and guarded conversations as they navigate what remains between them. The night hints at a fragile possibility of reconciliation, though nothing is resolved.
When:Winter Where:Ağrı (hotel)
- 12
Morning departure: he leaves alone
In the morning, İsa leaves the hotel alone while Bahar continues with her day, leaving their encounter unresolved. The scene emphasizes the film's lingering uncertainty about their future. The trip to Ağrı ends on a note of tentative distance rather than reunion.
When:Winter Where:Ağrı
Who Are the Main Characters in Climates?
3 characters, among them İsa, Bahar and Serap: who each one is and the part they play in the story.
- İ
İsa
İsa is a university instructor who shoots photographs of ancient monuments for an unfinished thesis. He appears emotionally distant and craving connection, yet his past infidelity haunts him, triggering cycles of pursuit and avoidance. His attempts to reconcile with Bahar reveal a complex mix of longing, guilt, and insecurity.
- 💬 Communication gap
- 🎓 Academic life
- 📷 Photography
- B
Bahar
Bahar is an art director in Istanbul who travels to on-location shoots. She is independent and professional, wary of İsa’s advances but still emotionally invested. Her boundaries and decisions drive the emotional tension and eventual distance between them.
- 💪 Independent
- 🧭 Boundaries
- 🎨 Creative
- S
Serap
Serap is the woman İsa previously cheated with, now in a relationship with an acquaintance. She represents the lingering pull of past affairs and the complications of reconnecting with someone who has moved on.
- 💔 Past relationships
- 🔥 Temptation
- 🤝 Complex dynamics
Where and When Is Climates Set?
Climates is set in Kaş, Istanbul and Ağrı (Late summer to winter). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Late summer to winter
The film unfolds across late summer, autumn, and winter, all within a contemporary setting. It follows the couple as seasons shift from warmth and vacation to urban routine and snowbound isolation. The changing environments mirror the couple’s fluctuating closeness and emotional vulnerability.
Where
Kaş, Istanbul, Ağrı
Kaş is a sunlit Mediterranean coastal town featured as the summer setting where the couple's tension begins. The story then shifts to Istanbul, a sprawling metropolis that frames their past and present interactions. Ağrı provides a stark, snowy eastern backdrop that heightens emotional distance and intensifies moments of longing and reconciliation.
- 🏖️ Coastal town
- 🌆 City
- 🗺️ Turkey
What Are the Themes of Climates?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Love Betrayal, Memory Dream and Geography Mood.
-
01
Love Betrayal
A core thread is the strain between intimacy and betrayal. İsa's past infidelity and current attempts to reconnect push Bahar toward boundaries and distance. Their conversations echo miscommunication and longing, showing how trust can erode and reconstitute under pressure. The film uses quiet moments and geographic shifts to explore whether love can survive betrayal.
-
02
Memory Dream
Dreams and memories blur present reality as the couple navigates desire and fear. Bahar’s dream of being smothered by sand reveals fear of losing agency within the relationship. The narrative uses these dreamlike sequences to probe guilt, longing, and unresolved histories. The dream versus reality tension colors every decision they make.
-
03
Geography Mood
Locations and seasons act as a mirror for emotional states. The warm coast of Kaş contrasts with the bustle of Istanbul and the cold of Ağrı, aligning with the couple’s shifts from closeness to distance. The travel between places becomes a catalyst for confrontation and reflection. The setting’s rhythm reinforces the film’s mood swings and emotional stakes.
What Kind of Film Is Climates?
Melancholic in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Low
- Ending
- Sad
A quietly melancholic and introspective film that unfolds with a slow, deliberate pace, immersing the viewer in the lonely and somber atmosphere of a relationship's painful dissolution.
- melancholic
- introspective
- lonely
- somber
- dreamlike
- unsettling
- relationship breakdown
- post-breakup
- emotional turmoil
- unfinished business
Content notes: emotional manipulation, infidelity.
Quiz
How well do you remember Climates? Test yourself on the story.
