Crossing Istanbul

Lia, a retired teacher from Georgia, is determined to find her long-lost cousin Tekla. When she learns from her twenty-year-old neighbor that Tekla has left for Turkey, she travels to Istanbul, taking Tekla's brash neighbor, Achi, with her.

In the vibrant city, they make new connections and see a world full of possibilities. But how do you find someone who might not want to be found? When they meet Evrim, a trans rights lawyer, it seems to help their search. As Lia and Achi make their way through the alleys of Istanbul, Tekla starts to feel closer than ever.

Crossing Istanbul is a heartwarming road movie about identity, acceptance, being queer and unexpected friendships that transcend borders. The film by renowned Georgian director Levan Akin (And Then We Danced, 2019) had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and was awarded the Teddy Jury Award. After Berlin, Crossing Istanbul toured successfully across many film festivals and was widely praised for its beautiful cinematography and moving chemistry between the leads.