Crossing the Bridge - the Sound of Istanbul

Director's bio: Fatih Akin was born in 1973 in Hamburg of Turkish parentage and began studying Visual Communications at Hamburg's College of Fine Arts in 1994. In 1995, he wrote and directed his first short feature, Sensin - You're The One! (Sensin - Du bist es!), which received the Audience Award at the Hamburg International Short Film Festival, followed by Weed (Getuerkt, 1996). His first full length feature film, Short Sharp Shock (Kurz und schmerzlos, 1998), won the Bronze Leopard at Locarno and the Bavarian Film Award (Best Young Director) in 1998. His other films include: In July (Im Juli, 2000), Wir haben vergessen zurueckzukehren (2001), Solino (2002), the Berlinale Golden Bear-winner and winner of the German and European Film Awards Head-On (Gegen die Wand, 2003), and CROSSING THE BRIDGE - The Sound of Istanbul (2005). Filmography Director CROSSING THE BRIDGE - The Sound of Istanbul Head-On (Gegen die Wand) In July (Im Juli) Short Sharp Shock (Kurz und schmerzlos) Solino Screenplay CROSSING THE BRIDGE - The Sound of Istanbul Head-On (Gegen die Wand) Kebab Connection Short Sharp Shock (Kurz und schmerzlos) Producer CROSSING THE BRIDGE - The Sound of Istanbul Principal Cast Kismet

Alex Hacke, of the German avant-garde band Einsturzende Neubauten, is a collector of musical styles and loves to experiment with sound. He calls his approach to collecting sounds "street recording", and it allows him to make professional recordings anywhere in the world. He sets out to capture the musical diversity of Istanbul, his aim to capture the broadest possible spectrum of contemporary Turkish music, from modern electronica, rock and hip-hop to classical "Arabesques", Kurdish laments and Oriental salon music. Director Fatih Akin accompanies him to shoot a portrait of Istanbul's lively music scene, which suffuses every part of the city. Musical fragments from the streets of an alien, contradictory, lively, and seductive world.