re:mote voices

Title:Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Cast: Alexander Hacke, Baba Zula, Orient Expressions, Duman, Replikas, Erkin Koray, Ceza, Istanbul Style Breakers, MercanDede, Selim Sesler, Brenna MacGrimmon, Siyasiyabend, Orhan Gencebay, Müzeyyen Senar, Sezen Aksu
Director: Fatih Akin

Istanbul and Turkey are considered to be the bridge between Europe and Asia. With the result that the city is a melting point of a cultures, a hybrid of continents. When Alexander Hacke travelled to Istanbul to work on the soundtrack to Fatih Akin's "Head On" he became fascinated by the city and it's music. With Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, Alexander Hacke returns to the city to explore its music and culture.

Crossing The Bridge has a non-linear structure, wandering about from one musical style to another. Starting with rock music, moving on to rap, while exploring the Turkish influences on them both. Then more traditional folk music, flowing round the input of the Romany, the Kurds, the Arabesque. As Hacke journeys through sound he manages to capture both the young and the old, from those just starting out to those who are legends in Turkey. People playing on boats, in clubs, at festivals, in studios, at weddings, and in the streets. With a box full of microphones and a laptop Hacke explores and documents everything he comes across.

Alexander Hacke is a member of the German band Einstürzende Neubauten, the influential punk-industrialists, and has a very hands-on approach to music. Which is when Crossing The Bridge is at its best, when you can see Hacke in the background grinning while someone plays music, when you see him repositioning microphones and checking his laptop, or even playing along with the bands that he meets. As a documentary this is not a deep and meaningful explanation of Turkish culture and the evolution of its current music scenes, but it is Hacke's enthusiasm that propels things along.