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06/24/06
Crossing The Bridge: The Sound Of Istanbul
86 %
Reviews Counted: 35 Fresh: 30 Rotten:5 Average Rating: 6.9/10
Consensus:
Infused with cultural and political concerns, this film weaves together a rich tapestry of musical styles that celebrate the diversity that makes up contemporary Turkish life.
Rated: 12A
Runtime: 90 mins
Theatrical Release: 24-02-2006
Synopsis: A European musician and composer sets out to capture the musical diversity of Istanbul. A lover of experimenting with sound, Alexander Hacke (of the German avantgarde band Einstürzende Neubauten) roams the streets of Istanbul with his mobile recording studio and "magic mike" to assemble... [More]
Genre: Education/General Interest
Director: Fatih Akin
Reviews
Top Critic
It opens the audience's ears to the diversity and vitality of Istanbul's music scene but, as a documentary, it lacks the mainstream appeal of Buena Vista Social Club.
04/01/06
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02/25/06
Top Critic
With the keynote being diversity, this documentary arguably favours breadth over depth; but it's still an eye-opening portrait, capturing several fine musical performances.
02/14/06
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11/11/06
Though its photography is keen and vibrant and its concept elegantly simple, the movie doesn’t quite add up beyond its performances.
08/19/06
Crossing the Bridge does more than offer a wide variety of entertaining and intoxicating Turkish music. It also uses music to paint a portrait of a vibrant, cosmopolitan city and provide a window into a rich and varied national culture.
08/18/06
Top Critic
A delightful survey of Turkish music's many intriguing variations, as well as a fascinating, if somewhat superficial, portrait of one of the most historic cities on Earth.
08/18/06
The music is gorgeous, and Akin’s feverish camera shows an exile’s love of the beautiful, crumbling but energized city as he pokes around its crevices, looking for recombinations of old and new, here and there.
08/17/06
Even as Crossing the Bridge acknowledges differences, tensions, the provocative power music exerts on our hearts, it makes an elegant, head-bopping, hip-swaying argument that sound unifies.
08/04/06
Though not nearly as exhilarating or illuminating as Buena Vista Social Club, this structurelss docu does capture the unique variety of sounds of Istanbul, a city strategically positied between East and West.
08/02/06
It's a heady, occasionally free-floating mix, and a feast for music lovers.
07/28/06
Then-and-now footage of aging legends such as Erkin Koray and Sezen Aksu offers an insight into the musical continuum that bridges a rich heritage with a promising future.
07/27/06
Akin's documentary gets its legs from the subtle questions it raises about Turkey's politics, nationalism, religious identity, cultural integrity and international perception.
07/14/06
While Crossing the Bridge is sure to find an appreciative audience among world music aficionados, its crossover appeal seems limited at best.
07/06/06
You'll feel lucky for such a comprehensive introduction to Turkish music, and will no doubt be scrambling for a soundtrack album.
06/09/06
It's a tasty sonic apertif to an unfamiliar world, and likely to inspire more than a few folks to make a beeline for the world music browser at the music store.
06/09/06
The musical selections are nothing if not eclectic -- rock, hop-hop, psychedelic, folk, electronica, traditional -- and include some perky performances. But Crossing the Bridge is more than just a musical primer.
06/09/06
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