Crossing

(KVIFF 2024) Crossing combines in an engaging way several interesting themes that revolve around the search for truth, for loved ones, for oneself, and for knowledge of new people, culture and truth. We follow two storylines (Eli and Achi, and Evrim) that converge as the film progresses until they intersect. The trip to Istanbul provides Eli and Achi with more than they originally intended: while Eli searches for his niece and finds his forgotten youth and a way to come to terms with the truth, Achi seeks an escape from his prudish family while finding a solution and expanding his horizons. I commend the film's music, which complemented the local colour excellently, and I also liked the depiction of language barriers. A crossing between cultures, a crossing between the past and the present, a crossing between the traditional and the modern world. (2024-07-01)

When you arrive in Karlovy Vary on Friday afternoon, you are glad that there is something left from the Friday programme and you go to see a film from Georgia, hoping for a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Crossing is the story of a retired teacher, Lia, who travels to Istanbul to find her niece Tekla, who has been disowned by the rest of her family. She sets off with young Achim, who hopes to find a better life in the Turkish capital. Neither of them speaks the language, neither of them knows where to look for what they have come here for. So they wander the streets, hoping that, with the help of a social worker who specialises in helping trans people, they will eventually succeed in their quest. Crossing is a slow-paced drama leaning heavily on the atmosphere of the grimy alleys of a Turkish big city where the outcasts and the lost hide. But the search itself is mind-numbingly dull and, above all, predictable. It offers no emotions, twists or surprises. It's as if director Levan Akin hopes that the wandering itself will lead to some kind of payoff, a reconciliation with fate or a finding of a place in the lives of a few desperate people. Sadly, all this fails to mix together in an interesting way. Crossing is a typical festival film, the likes of which a person who is the least familiar with them will have seen at least ten. I finally got bored by the pointless ending. (2024-07-03)

Levan Akin has amazed me for the second film in a row. Is this director a genius? We'll see in the coming years. Crossing is a distinctive Eastern drama that offers a bit of everything. The lead actor, Mzia Arabuli, is excellently complemented by Lucas Kankava, and together they create a dynamic duo that's impossible not to root for. Characters of different temperaments and generations embark on an adventure set against the stunning backdrop of Istanbul. The script and cinematography work together brilliantly, and the emotionally gripping story maintains a pleasant pace—neither too fast nor slow. The ending was excellently conceived, and I can only recommend this outstanding film. (2024-08-10)