Istanbul's vibrant music scene comes alive in this exuberant documentary from Fatih Akin, the prizewinning Turkish-German director of Head On and The Edge of Heaven. “If you come to a place and want to understand it, listen to the music that is played there,” reads a Confucius quote, and so Akin dives headfirst into the sounds of Istanbul to grasp the city's rich cultural and social mix. The proverbial crossroads of two continents, Istanbul straddles Europe and Asia, and from that weave arise countless musical strands, not to mention artistic movements and ethnic identities. Alexander Hacke, bass player for legendary noise band Einstürzende Neubauten, plays interviewer for this sonic tour, featuring legendary singers Orhan Gencebay and Sezen Akzu, the rapper Ceza, experimental rockers the Replikas, sixties guitar hero Erkin Koray, Romany performer Selim Sesler, Kurdish singer Aynur, and 1940s radio star Müzeyyen Senar, who performs with orchestra in several musical “bridges.”

Screening in conjunction with the conference Orienting Istanbul: Cultural Capital of Europe, sponsored by UC Berkeley's Center for Middle Eastern Studies and presented at the Townsend Center for the Humanities, September 25 through 27. For information, visit www.ced.berkeley.edu/istanbulconference/