Rent Crossing (2024)
3.9 of 5 from 96 ratings
1h 42min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Lia (Mzia Arabuli), a retired school teacher living in Georgia, hears from a young neighbour Achi (Lucas Kankava) that her long lost niece Tekla (Tako Kurdovanidze), a transgender woman, has crossed the border into Turkey. Hoping to bring Tekla home after a period of estrangement, Lia travels to Istanbul with the unpredictable Achi to find her. Exploring the hidden depths of the city, they cross paths with a transgender lawyer called Evrim (Deniz Dumanli), who helps them in their search.
- Actors:
- Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava, Deniz Dumanli, Nino Karchava, Levan Bochorishvili, Nino Tedoradze, Giga Shavadze, Bunyamin Deger, Sema Sultan Elekci, Metin Akdemir, Oksan Büyük, Yasmin Ada, Suzan Fadil, Mehtap Ozdemir, Mehmet Isyar, Derya Günaydin, Ziya Sudancikmaz, Beril Soydan, Soner Yalçin, Levan Gabrichidze
- Directors:
- Levan Akin
- Producers:
- Mathilde Dedye
- Writers:
- Levan Akin
- Aka:
- Passage
- Studio:
- Mubi
- Genres:
- Drama
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 30/09/2024
- Run Time:
- 106 minutes
- Languages:
- English Audio Description DTS 2.0, Georgian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Georgian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, German Dolby Digital 2.0, German Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing, German, Spanish
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Q&A with writer-director Levan Akin
More like Crossing
Reviews (2) of Crossing
An Unparalleled Sense of Immersion - Crossing review by griggs
Crossing, directed by the brilliant Levan Akin, is a mesmeric film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. Akin's masterful direction makes the film entirely character-driven, focusing intently on its protagonists' intricate lives and relationships. Instead of relying on the stunning backdrop of Istanbul to carry the narrative, Akin uses intimate close shots to draw the audience deeply into the characters' personal journeys.
This approach creates an unparalleled sense of immersion. The camera's unwavering attention to the subtleties of expression and interaction makes you feel as though you are not merely watching a film but intruding on genuine moments of connection and conflict. The effect is a visceral experience of human emotion, rendered with a rare authenticity.
The acting is nothing short of incredible. Each actor delivers a convincing performance that blurs the line between fiction and reality, making you feel like an interloper in the scene rather than a mere spectator. Their portrayal of complex emotions and relationships is nuanced and powerful, contributing to the film's profound impact, leaving you deeply moved and affected.
Crossing is a testament to Akin's visionary direction and the exceptional talent of its cast. It is a beautiful film that captivates the heart and mind, offering a profoundly human story that resonates on multiple levels, making you feel deeply connected and understood.
5 out of 5 members found this review helpful.
Impressive, compassionate tale of acceptance of differences - Crossing review by PD
Visiting Istanbul, you can’t help but notice all of the cats: the place is swarming with strays, some nice-looking and friendly, others a bit haggard and more stand-offish. But what of the countless other souls — the human ones — who also live on the margins of this modern city? They too are invisible until noticed. But if you look closely, it becomes impossible to un-see the homeless children and street sellers, sex workers and immigrants, many of them struggling to survive. With 'Crossing,' writer-director Levan Akin wants to open our eyes to the easily overlooked; here, he chooses to raise awareness of the trans community in Istanbul, but he does so in a way that is both subtle and very compassionate.
The film tells the engaging (if somewhat meandering) story of an elderly Georgian schoolteacher, Ms. Lia (Mzia Arabuli), committed to honouring her sister’s dying wish that she find her estranged daughter, Tekla. It informs us from the start that both Georgian and Turkish are gender-neutral languages. Beginning her search in the Georgian city of Batumi, Lia stumbles across a former student and poses the question: Has he seen Tekla? “She’s talking about those trans girls,” the guy’s younger brother, Achi, butts in, and everyone suddenly seems embarrassed to have this stated openly. Thus Akin reveals the cultural shame Lia’s dealing with, establishing a secondary agenda to her mission: she’s determined to locate Tekla, but she is also struggling to acknowledge and accept her niece’s identity. From this point, the film unravels as a road trip — from Batumi to Istanbul — but the more significant journey for Lia is an internal one. Playing the character stern and proud, Arabuli gives a thoroughly convincing performance.
Director Akin is of Georgian descent, but born in Sweden, and through the character of Achi, he comments on a younger generation back “home” frustrated by their limited options. In her 70s, Lia is nearly half a century older than this child, but she doesn’t fit so neatly into the patriarchal system either. For starters, she never married, and though Lia lays down the law — no alcohol or narcotics — before they set out, Achi calls out this hypocritical “old drunk” for sneaking sips of chacha (a homemade Georgian liquor).
To reach their destination, Lia and Achi take a combination of buses and ferries, and it's during one of the crossings that the camera (the film is shot handheld throughout) explores one of these boats in a long, continuous shot, inviting audiences to briefly consider the lives of the other, anonymous characters. The camera settles on two scrawny orphans on the lower deck, one strumming a guitar and singing - these are Izzet and Gülpembe, who are no more related than Lia and Achi, though we can be excused for assuming otherwise, whilst upstairs is trans woman Evrim, a lawyer and advocate for trans rights. For now, the five characters are strangers, but they come together gradually as Lia’s investigation proceeds - the mix of outsiders and refugees they meet en route perhaps resembling Istanbul’s many stray cats: though biologically unrelated, these people connect and cling to one another, forming ersatz families wherever they can.
While the film does feel a little cliched in its odd couple premise, the tenderness and grace with which Akin tells this story counterbalance this, and Crossing has a bright sense of humour which cuts through some of the tension inherent in a culture clash narrative. It also bravely dares to question whether Tekla even wants to be found, whilst, in delicate, understated ways, the film allows Lia to face her regrets. Through one anecdote — about a Georgian man who “accidentally” killed his own trans child, we come to recognise what Tekla was running from, Akin’s tale suggesting that Tekla’s relatives might need 'saving' more than she does, for 'Crossing' is nobly intent on showing trans people as worthy of dignity, safety, and love. Impressive work.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.