Provisions Film: Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Equipped only with a camera and a couple of microphones that can be turned into a mobile recording studio, Alexander Hacke, the bassist from the industrial avantgarde band Einstürzende Neubauten and German-Turkish filmmaker Fatih Akin, roam the streets of Istanbul, capturing the diverse, sonic landscape of this vast and vibrant city.
The 90 minute documentary, Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, functions as an insightful and infectiously enjoyable survey of contemporary Turkish musical identity. The almost mystical seeming voyage introduces the viewer to a broad spectrum of familiar and foreign sounds ranging from rock, hip-hop and electronic to classical “Arabesque”.
As Hacke and Akin wandering through this seductive musical world, they interview and record musicians from all different walks of life in various spots in the city. We listen to the sound of the neo-psychedelic band Baba Zula, fusion DJ-duo Orient Expressions, two Turkish rock bands Duman and Replikas, fast-rapping Ceza , , the infamous digital dervish Mercan Dede, clarinetist Selim Sesler, the street performers Siyasiyabend, the beautiful Kurdish dirges singer Aynur Dogan, the infamous Orhan Gencebay on the sar, and the two legendary female singers Muzeyyen Senar and Sezen Aksu.
Located on the Bosporus, Istanbul is defined by its unique geographical position at which both continents and cultures of Europe and Asia come together. The city is a hodge-podge of colors, styles, languages, life and cultures. Crossing the Bridge and the artists in it underscore the idea that through the process of making music and its mere appreciation, music is not only a source for entertainment, but its can also function as a political act, a way to maintain one’s heritage, forge new paths and therefore shape one’s own identity.
The artists featured in the documentary have not only influenced Turkeys current cultural landscape, but by stylistically or lyrically taking on and addressing some of the relevant issues at hand, they, with the help of this beautifully shot and edited documentary, have given insight into the current social and cultural context of modern day Turkey.
