Drama

Crossing

Lia, a retired teacher from Georgia, learns from her young neighbor, Achi, that her long-lost transgender niece, Tekla, has crossed the border into Turkey. In search of Tekla, Lia travels to Istanbul with the unpredictable Achi, where they explore the hidden depths of the city.

Release Date : 2024-03-22

Language :EnglishGeorgianTurkish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : French Quarter FilmAdomeit FilmEasy Riders Films1991 ProductionsBir FilmSVTRMV Film

Production Country : DenmarkFranceGeorgiaSwedenTurkey

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lia

Original Name : Mzia Arabuli

Gender : Female

Character Name : Achi

Original Name : Lucas Kankava

Gender : Male

Character Name : Evrim

Original Name : Deniz Dumanlı

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ruso

Original Name : Nino Karchava

Gender : Male

Character Name : Zaza

Original Name : Levan Bochorishvili

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nona (Neighbour Child)

Original Name : Nino Tedoradze

Gender : Male

Character Name : Giga (Neighbour Child)

Original Name : Giga Shavadze

Gender : Male

Character Name : Izzet

Original Name : Bünyamin Değer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gülpembe

Original Name : Sema Sultan Elekci

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ahmet

Original Name : Metin Akdemir

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gülsen

Original Name : Oksan Büyük

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Trans Girl

Original Name : Yasmin Ada

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Young Trans Girl

Original Name : Suzan Fadil

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aynur

Original Name : Mehtap Özdemir

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Erol

Original Name : Mehmet Isyar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Özge

Original Name : Derya Günaydın

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ömer

Original Name : Ziya Sudançıkmaz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Arya

Original Name : Beril Soydan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mustafa

Original Name : Soner Yalçın

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ramaz

Original Name : Levan Gabrichidze

Gender : Male

Character Name : Seval

Original Name : Şevval Kılıç

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bulut

Original Name : Bulut Sezer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ceylan

Original Name : Bergüzar Mercan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tekla

Original Name : Tako Kurdovanidze

Gender : Female

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-08-17

There's something entirely plausible about the performance from Mzia Arabuli in this poignant drama. She is the retired school teacher "Lia" who is determined to track down her niece now that her sister has recently died. She lives in Georgia, likes a drink or two, and thinks that "Tekla" has fled to neighbouring Turkey where she is able to live her life more freely. She is trans - and that's not a situation encouraged at home! "Lia" hasn't a word of Turkish, though, so she agrees to take local wide boy "Achi" (Lucas Kankava) with her as a sort of guide-cum-translator. The seedier side of Istanbul beckons for both of them, but what chance of tracking down one person in a city of millions? Fortunately, the young man can't sleep one night and goes out to explore. He makes some new friends and these friends lead them to newly qualified lawyer "Evrim" (Deniz Dumanli) who promises to try to help... Now it would have been very easy for auteur Levan Akin to do this the A+B=C way, but he doesn't. He doesn't make the film about the search for "Tekla" so much as about a search by this woman to find herself, to reignite her sense of purpose and to to put into perspective issues that drive families apart leaving everyone bereft of affection and understanding. It's that role that Arabuli plays with an honesty that really works. There's an almost maternal chemistry between her and the young "Achi" and as they search, we see a city that really is a potpourri of just about every aspect of humanity - some friendly, so less so. I found this to be quite an effective film about live-and-let-live in a city where poverty and wealth exist side by side and where there appears to be a largely prevailing degree of tolerance and, to an extent, generosity of spirit. It's hopeful but not unrealistic, and proof that there's plenty of life in the old girl yet!

badelf

@badelf

2024-11-07

_Crossing_ is NOT a slick film, and no way it should ever be. This beautiful piece of work is ostensibly a story about down and out orphans, trans folks, and prostitutes. But it's not. At it's very core, Crossing is about 2 lost souls in search of themselves. Kudos to Levan Akin for couching such an incredibly rich subtext inside a script of contemporary issues, and doing it so well. I'm giving this movie a 9, not just for the story, but also for the absolutely incredible job of Mzia Arabuli, and novice Lucas Kankava who rose up to her level in nearly every scene with her.