Crossing The Bridge – The Sound of Istanbul

After the success of his melodrama *Gegen die Wand*, German-Turkish director Fatih Akin returned, five years after *Wir haben vergessen zurückzukehren*, to a documentary exploration of identity. Together with Alexander Hacke, bassist of Einstürzende Neubauten, he sets out on a journey through the vibrant music scene of Istanbul in *Crossing the Bridge – The Sound of Istanbul*, equipped with a mobile recording studio.

Anyone who has ever visited Istanbul knows how deeply this pulsating metropolis is infused with music. From every shop and every corner, Turkish songs spill out from speakers—sometimes folk, sometimes pop, often classical European—blending into a distinctive, unmistakable soundscape.

*Crossing the Bridge* documents Istanbul’s music scene by simply following musician Alexander Hacke as he captures the city’s sounds. It begins with the neo-psychedelic group Baba Zula, followed by Kurdish folk musicians as well as Istanbul rappers. In between, Hacke interviews both established artists and street musicians. In this mosaic-like way, Akin creates a personal love letter to the metropolis, where, as in its music, East and West, Roman and Ottoman heritage merge into a vibrant multicultural whole.

At the same time, a portrait of the cultural and political situation emerges almost incidentally, revealing more about Turkey than many identity debates surrounding the country’s rapprochement with the EU. Building bridges is also a cultural message—and in Istanbul, it is a way of everyday life. (Rüdiger Suchsland)