Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul

The Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akin, known for his feature films "In July", "Solino" and "Head On", takes us on a musical documentary journey to Istanbul. He accompanies his alter-ego, avantgarde musician Alexander Hacke, as they meet musicians from all across the musical and cultural spectrum: from post-rock bands to local hip hop artists and on to more classical musicians as the film progresses. Through the musicians and their music, we are exposed to the musical, architectural and human richness of the city. A city on the seamline between Europe and Asia that tries (in vain?) to bridge between its own elements of East and West. The musical performances themselves, including by such greats as Orhan Gencebay and diva Sezen Aksu, give the film additional power.