Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul is a documentary which takes the viewer through the music scene in modern Istanbul and in addition portrays the country’s rich cultural life. German avant-garde musician Alexander Hacke fell in love with Turkish music while working on the earlier Fatih Akin film Head-On. Hacke returned to Istanbul with Akin documenting the journey through Turkey’s music landscape, from the grunge-influenced rock of Duman and multicultural hip-hop of Ceza, to the classical pop of regional icons such as Orhan Gencebay and Sezen Akzu. The film reveals a country defined by its geographic situation between East and West, and despite influences from America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, one that shows its own distinctive identity.
Hosted by: Selim Tiryakiol & Oğuzhan Yangöz, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Directed by: Fatih Akin (Turkey) 2005