A ‘Crossing’ story in the backstreets of Istanbul

A poignant journey through the magical streets of Istanbul, set on that fine line between getting lost and finding oneself: Levan Akin’s film “Crossing” speaks to both hearts and consciences.

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A ‘Crossing’ story in the backstreets of Istanbul

Hilal Özdemir

While wondering which film to write about this week, I learned that the film Crossing, which made a name for itself last year, was available on a digital platform, so I sat down at my computer and started watching.

Georgian-Swedish director Levan Akin, who made a name for himself with the film And Then We Danced, turns his camera to Istanbul with the film Crossing.

Crossing is a 2024 co-production between Sweden, Denmark, France, Turkey, and Georgia, written and directed by Levan Akin. The film, starring Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava, and Deniz Dumanlı, had its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in 2024.

Lia: ‘It seems Istanbul is a place where people come to get lost’

The film centers on Lia’s journey from Georgia to Istanbul to find her trans niece, Tekla. Lia sets out to keep a promise she made to her sister. In Batumi, she meets her former student Zaza and his unruly brother Achi. When Achi says he knows Tekla is in Istanbul, this hope drags Lia into the unknowns of a giant metropolis.

In the screenplay, which progresses on two fronts, Lia’s search and the experiences of Evrim, a trans individual in Turkey, bring them together at the same point.

Although Lia says that a trip to Istanbul she took with her father as a child inspired her to become a history teacher, this time she meets the harsh face of that historic city. In this huge city where she doesn’t even know the language, she starts searching for her niece street by street with Achi in tow. The audience also goes on an Istanbul tour with them. On one side, the sea view, the Maiden’s Tower, and historical structures; on the other, the lives of people living in the backstreets of Istanbul…

In our country, trans people, who are excluded by a large segment of society and cannot find a place for themselves in various lines of work, are forced to engage in sex work to sustain their lives.

Lia: ‘We only thought about what others would say’

Although Lia appears to be a tough character by nature, we understand in the later scenes that she regretted her reactions to her niece’s situation in the past. The time that has passed has allowed Lia to complete her own ‘crossing’ and finally accept this situation.

Now let’s come to Evrim, the trans individual who is another important character in the film. While Evrim works as a volunteer lawyer for people like herself in the backstreets of Beyoğlu, she also struggles to obtain her new identity. The attitudes of doctors and other staff at the hospital where she goes to obtain her ID reveal the difficulties of being a trans individual in Turkey.

Although the film seems to progress on two different fronts, we actually understand the difficulties Tekla faced during her process of coming to Turkey through Evrim’s experiences.

It is these common troubles that bring Tekla and Lia together. Even though Evrim and Lia do not know each other’s languages, they find a way to communicate.

Crossing attracted the attention of Turkish audiences not only because its story takes place in Istanbul but also because of the music used in the film. It features many works ranging from Turkish Folk Music to arabesque, from Neşet Ertaş to Selda Bağcan, and from Müslüm Gürses to Sezen Aksu.

The journey that begins in Batumi with the folk song ‘Bir Anadan Dünyaya Gelen Yolcu’ is accompanied by the folk song ‘Seher Yeli Nazlı Yare’ during the ferry ride in Istanbul. Lia, who gets carried away while drinking rakı in the nights of Beyoğlu, becomes melancholic with the song ‘Gamzedeyim Deva Bulmam’, and then shines like a star in the darkness of the night with ‘Kibar Yarim Esmerim’.

Crossing is a story in which every character experiences their own “crossing” on a journey extending from Batumi to Istanbul. Although these crossings are sometimes painful, everyone eventually completes their own transformation. While the film shares both the magic of Istanbul and the harsh face of social realities with the audience, it gives a powerful message about empathy and understanding. With the film Crossing, Levan Akin clearly reveals the similarity between the patriarchal structures of Georgian and Turkish societies and their perspectives on LGBT+ individuals.

Istanbul is a city where people sometimes come to get lost and sometimes to find themselves. We think at length about which one fell to our lot when the film ends.

News Source: 12punto