Lia, a retired teacher from Georgia, learns from her young neighbor, Achi, that her long-lost transgender niece, Tekla, has crossed the border into Turkey. In search of Tekla, Lia travels to Istanbul with the unpredictable Achi, where they explore the hidden depths of the city.
Acting
Mzia Arabuli's face does entire monologues in silence.
Direction
Akin treats Istanbul's marginal spaces with radical tenderness.
Director
Levan Akin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Akin, Georgian-Swedish and gay, shot in Istanbul's actual trans district with non-professional trans performers—Deniz Dumanlı was discovered working at a real bar there.
The title's triple meaning: border-crossing, gender transition, and the crossing of paths between three generations of queer Georgians in exile.
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