Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul

German-Turkish director Akin follows Alexander Hacke, musical director on Akin’s sensational ‘Head-On’ and bassist with punk outfit Einstürzende Neubauten, around Istanbul recording the city’s eclectic music scene. Hacke meets hairy rockers, fervent buskers, wrecked Romanies, persecuted Kurds and crinkly popsters, as well as some of the nicest – yet still credible – rappers you’re ever likely to encounter. The film touches on the politics of the Turkish music biz (apparently Kurdish music videos were only broadcast on TV for the first time a few months before Hacke’s trip, allegedly to curry favour with the EU), but Hacke’s explicit refusal to make sense of the remarkable mishmash arguably hamstrings the otherwise enjoyable proceedings.