Crossing Istanbul
Humanist, loving drama from Levan Akin (And Then We Danced) about a retired teacher from Georgia who teams up with her young neighbourhood boy in Istanbul to search for her niece Tekla, who disappeared years ago.
Lia, a retired history teacher with high standards for herself and others has made a promise to find out what happened to her long-lost niece, Tekla. In order to find her, however, Lia will have to overcome the cultural shame she feels: Tekla is a transgender woman. When Lia learns from a neighbour, Achi, that Tekla might have left their Georgian homeland and be living in Turkey, Lia and Achi set off together to find her. Later they are joined by Evrim, a lawyer fighting for trans rights and a transgender woman herself. Arriving in Istanbul, they discover a beautiful city full of connections and possibilities. But as they weave their way through the city’s backstreets, they wonder whether Tekla wants to be found at all.
Levan Akin’s fourth feature film highlights transitions in many forms; of national borders, cultures, generations, and genders. Even more, it is a testament to our mutual connection and the importance of empathy for each other's differences.