kaibab1
This is a whale of a missed opportunity to properly showcase the music scene of one of the world's most beautiful and alluring cities and its rich and deep cultural tapestry. It's a hasty, shallow and choppily-shot overview of the phenomenally diverse musical panorama of Istanbul. The brief presentation of tunes, songs and performers jump around and the visuals consist of jiggly, color-faded shots that shortchange the city, even if we take for granted the producer's intention to focus strictly on Beyoglu, the "Old Stamboul" district north of the Golden Horn. I guess we should be grateful that SOME Turkish music has been brought our way, but it's like getting an overview of American jazz and popular music by listening to micro-snippets --from King Oliver to the latest rap phenom. And the glorious city is given but a minimal chance to show off the sights and sounds that inspire so much of its music.
Birkan Adar
I have been away from Istanbul for the last 10 years. During that time I constantly lived in London. When I have seen the movie I realised how much I am Istanbuler. I am not just from Turkey I am a part of Turkey. One of my part is Istanbul, the sound of the Istanbul, the people of the Istanbul.Probably Faith Akin thought that he has done great musical documentary but I must say it is more than that. It is about putting nice blend of vastly different musics, cultures, approaches, politics, ethnics into a delicious pot...As we all know Turkey to be precise Istanbul is always comes and goes between being eastern or western city. As one of the band member said Istanbul is a bi-cultural city. But much more a eastern city because we always tried to be a western city. It shows we've never been one.This movie will catch from very first second. Music is excellent, people are fascinating. Especially Aynur and Sezen Aksu. Singers, band members! It is nice to see you all at a small cinema in Wood Green.
dmxerkan
Istanbul is a big , crowded city between Europe and Asia.Too many types of people living together there for hundred years.In this documentary movie you can see how music can give description about the culture of the owner race.You would be able to hear too many types of music including rock , hip-hop , arabesque , alternative and more. Some of the musicians are famous in Turkey , some of them are famous also in Europe. The rest are just street musicians. Their music tell viewers , different faces of a city. Impressive !
deniz-gurtin
Crossing the Bridge: the Sound of Istanbul received one of the most rapturous applause from the audience when it ended and very deservingly so. I did not expect too much from a musical documentary but the movie proved to be much more than that. It was also a visual documentary of Istanbul with stark contrasts of old and new, western and eastern, poor and rich, modern and traditional. Black and white photographs of old Istanbul by world famous Armenian photographer Ara Guler were exceptional. But of course main theme was music, and by God, what a variety of it! It was in a way similar to Bueno Vistas Social Club; the love and the respect of the interviewer -Alexander Hacke here replacing Ray Cooder- for the musicians exuded from the screen and engulfed us all. The music was mostly very interesting. The jazz session by a group of Romany gypsies in a small Western Turkish town was mind blowing. I will not be surprised if the travel agents start getting group booking requests for Kesan after the movie is released. But I most loved Muzeyyen Senar who looked amazingly elegant in a sort of burlesque way and whilst tipping her "Raki" declared courageously: "My voice and I are 86 years old!" Well done Faith Akin. I bet there are many more Turkish musicians who are feeling left out: Go for Volume II please.
AD
