07/03/24 – 19:30 The Venue
Georgia 2024
Dir: Levan Akin
Cert 15
106 mins
Starring: Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava, Deniz Dumanli
Lia, a retired teacher in present-day Georgia, in compliance with her sister’s dying wish, sets out to find her long lost niece, Tekla. Her quest takes her eventually to Istanbul. However, does Tekla even want to be found? In the words of Lia – “Istanbul is a place where people come to disappear”. We also discover that the trans-gender Tekla was in fact thrown out of the family home long ago by her bigoted father. “Crossing” works on various levels: as a critique of Georgia’s extremely homo-/trans-phobic society, as an appeal for respect for the marginalised and as a celebration of life in all its mysterious manifestations in the city’s vibrant back streets where poverty and deprivation exist, but also warmth, friendship, music and dancing. Whether Tekla can be found or not, it is a positive, life changing experience for Lia.
Trailer:
