Crossing
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.
Critics Sentiment
A fantasy dream sequence seamlessly blurs reality, evoking Lia's sense of being lost
Lia and Achi arrive in Istanbul and begin navigating the unfamiliar city
The film's biggest swing occurs between the relatively disorienting early Istanbul arrival (6.5) and the emotionally rich revelation of Lia's character layers and her bond with Achi in the second half (peaking at 8.5), a nearly two-point rise as the human stakes become fully clear.
Crossing earns strong and consistent praise for its performances, especially Mzia Arabuli's layered portrayal of Lia, and for its authentic, non-touristy depiction of Istanbul and its trans community. The film builds steadily from a quietly engaging opening through an emotionally rich middle section, with the unlikely trio of Lia, Achi, and Evrim generating the warmth and chemistry that most reviewers found irresistible. The ambiguous, dream-inflected ending divides opinion but does not significantly undercut the overwhelmingly positive reception of the film as a whole.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 24
Mzia Arabuli
Lia
Luke Kankava
Achi
Deniz Dumanlı
Evrim
Nino Karchava
Ruso
Levan Bochorishvili
Zaza
Nino Tedoradze
Nona (Neighbour Child)
Bünyamin Değer
Izzet
Sema Sultan Elekci
Gülpembe
Metin Akdemir
Ahmet
Oksan Büyük
Gülsen
Yasmin Ada
Young Trans Girl
Suzan Fadil
Second Young Trans Girl
Mehtap Özdemir
Aynur
Mehmet Isyar
Dr. Erol
Derya Günaydın
Özge
Ziya Sudançıkmaz
Ömer
Beril Soydan
Arya
Soner Yalçın
Mustafa
Levan Gabrichidze
Ramaz
Şevval Kılıç
Seval
Crew
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