Director Levan Akin centers the vital spirit of Istanbul’s trans community in this poignant story of unlikely connection. With three exquisite performances that vividly transcend generational divides, Crossing is a defiant city symphony and a compassionate tale of hope, identity, and forgiveness.

Contrasting rigorous compositions of military neatness with all-too-human close-ups, this incisive debut dwells in the divided allegiances of country and family. Treading through mental and physical battlefields, this slow-burn thriller crosses into the no-man’s-land of the soul.