Musical performance by oud player Harold Hagopian in the Furman Gallery before the April 28 screening, beginning at 9:30pm!

Crossroads between Europe and Asia, eastern and western cultures, as well as the former seat of a major empire—it’s little surprise that Turkey’s greatest city has developed an astonishingly rich and varied musical scene. Award-winning director Fatih Akın (Head On, The Edge of Heaven) takes us on a breathtaking tour of the sights and especially the sounds of Istanbul: you get to meet and hear Turkish rappers, Roma jazz musicians and traditional Kurdish singers, not to mention neo-psychedelic bands such as Baba Zula and various street performers. And then there’s the remarkable Müzeyyen Senar, a great diva of sultry popular music who introduces herself by saying that “My voice and I are 86 years old.” Whatever your taste in music, Crossing the Bridge is a sheer delight, and a fabulous introduction to one of the capitals of the 21st century.