This week's Hyde Park Pick: Crossing

Crossing is the third feature from Swedish-Georgian director Levan Akin, which was awarded the prestigious Teddy Award at this year’s Berlinale. Akin is perhaps best known for his 2019 film And Then We Danced, a romantic drama following two male dancers which caused riots by far-right groups in Georgia when it was released. In Crossing, Akin once again returns to themes of queer love and acceptance in his parents' conflicted native countries.

The film follows Lia (Mzia Arabuli), a retired schoolteacher living in Georgia. Whilst searching for her estranged niece, Tekla, she knocks on the door of teenager Achi (Lucas Kanvava). Desperate to leave the small town he lives in outside Batumi, Achi convinces Lia to let him accompany her across the border to Istanbul and the address he believes Tekla to be at.

What begins as an unlikely buddy road trip, pairing the no-nonsense, purse-lipped Lia with the affable and goofy young Achi, soon reveals itself as a moving and delicate portrayal of cross-generational and cross-border acceptance. As the pair search the streets of Istanbul, Lia’s deep regrets of how she reacted when Tekla transitioned are revealed through touching conversations with her new young companion.

Akin aligns Lia and Achi’s story with that of a trans woman (Deniz Dumanl) working to become a lawyer, who exists as part of a vibrant community of trans sex workers in the city. Akin subverts the expectations you may have of Turkey, showing us that despite its conservative political landscape, these communities of queer joy and sexual freedom still thrive. Akin brings together characters from opposing backgrounds, who represent different generations and ideals, but who unite together in such a natural way. One of the most striking aspects of the film is how the past and future are intertwined, as Akin weaves together traditional music and calls to prayer with scenes of hedonistic house parties and the crumbling buildings of the city with the vigorous lives of the women living inside them.

Featuring radiant performances from the three leads, culminating in an astonishing monologue delivered by Mzia Arabuli, Crossing is a poetic look at the transformative power of encounters and one I cannot wait to revisit.

Crossing is showing at HPPH daily from Fri 19 July. You can book tickets here.

MUBI have sponsored Turkish snacks for customers at our matinee screenings of Crossing. So, if you come to a screening of the film before 16:30, we'll have free Turkish delight supplied by our new local Turkish patisserie Abu Bakr.

Crossing is part of our new Summer Film Forum - an eight-week discussion course - giving you the chance to chat about some of the best new releases with fellow film enthusiasts. You can find out more and book here.