Friday evening I found myself in a screening of a film called Crossing The Bridge. I had no intention of seeing the film and knew nothing of it before this evening but within a matter of minutes, I found myself transfixed by this brilliantly done documentary on the various forms of music in Istanbul.
I, for one, know the perils of making a music documentary. I spent five years shooting footage and have done a poor job constructing a decent film. It’s a task that has been never-ending and nearly impossible to complete. Only recently have I realized my errors and hope to one day construct a film out of the existing footage I’ve shot. I have a great deal of respect of anyone who can accomplish such a film. It is by no means, an easy task.
People make the assumption that making a music documentary is as simple as shooting live concert footage and interviewing the artist. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many filmmakers, myself included, have made the same assumption as well. Thankfully, as Crossing the Bridge is concerned, this is not the case.
What makes this film so wonderful is that it instantly plunges into the vast music scene of Istanbul and explores it in a way that is informing and entertaining. I had no idea how many genres of music the country had a passion for and this is what truly came across in the film. The genres of music may have originated elsewhere but the people had taken them as their own.
Take Istanbul rap, I know, I laughed too but then I not only heard but saw this young man rapping in a measure that I don’t believe anyone in the states could possibly kept tempo with. The speed was absolutely astounding. The freestyle rap was so intense you could actually watch the beads of sweat fly off of his upper lip. Any record label that comes across this movie should be ashamed to not have already signed this fellow to a contact.
As I found out, there is no such thing as “gangsta” rap in Istanbul. They aren’t imitating the genre. They’re simply using the genre to convey a different message that being a much more political and personal one. They have made it their own and in doing have expanding the genre itself.
While I found the rap portion of the film the most interesting, it’s by no means the only genre adopted by the Turkish. The documentary explores folk music, street music, psychedelic rock, pop, rock, and many traditional forms of music. Each genre is presented with a description of the adoption and what it means to the country. Istanbul, as I quickly discovered, may be even more musically diverse than they United States!
Aesthetically, I thought this was truly a wonderful film. It’s obvious that it was shot on digital video but not once does that hinder the film. The camera work is alive and mobile. The camera moves just enough to help you feel the vibe or the music and not too much to make you feel as if you were watching an obnoxious music video. Crossing the Bridge has a certain patience that very few music documentaries have.
What truly makes the film is the amazing variety of coverage that is shown. I can’t recall one moment in which I found my eyes gazing off screen, something that is all too common in music documentaries. There are so many brilliant tight shots as well as segue ways that keep they film moving on a near perfect pace. There really isn’t one lull in the whole film and it’s almost as if the film was designed to mirror the Turkish music that it is inspired by. The so-called “Turkish accent” is a much more complex musical tempo than anything in American pop music. Crossing the Bridge must have been edited with “Turkish accent” in mind! This isn’t a waltz but instead a swing.
I must admit. I always thought I was fairly worldly about music but discovered how very little I actually knew after seeing Crossing the Bridge. After all, I worked in various record stores for several years, selling any type of music you can imagine. However, I was at a loss when I discovered how little I knew of the music of Istanbul. To be honest, the only thing I knew for sure what that “Istanbul was once Constantinople” and I owe that to a band called They Might Be Giants who sang those lyrics to “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”
All joking aside, Crossing the Bridge opens the door to a new way of looking at musical genres and how other cultures adopt them as if they were their own. After seeing this film, I have no doubt whatsoever that the artist in the film are just as inspired and as talented, if not more, than the people who have previously or are currently dominating the respected genres.
Films such as Don’t Look Back, Decline of the Western Civilization, DiG, and now Crossing the Bridge stand out for reasons other than simply being a photographic memory or a certain type or band or music. They are instead, much more powerful because they have a soul, a core, and an essence that they translate to the audience. With these films you leave the theater not only wanting to listen to the music but you actually understand it.
- Christopher Childs
Review originally appeared at Into the Evening Rush