Auf der Anderen Seite

(USA: The Edge of Heaven)

2007

3/4 Stars

While not a household name in the US, Turkish-German director Fatih Akin has established himself as a leading director in the German film industry. In his 10th film, “Auf der Anderen Seite”, Akin continues to show a distinctive eye for cinematography and a unique style of story-telling.

Revolving largely around the theme of German/Turkish relations and identity, the film zooms from Hamburg to Istanbul and back again, weaving a complicated web of personal relationships along the way. Characters speak in German, English and Turkish to communicate with one another in spite of their varied lives.

While the story can be marginally unbelievable at times (is Charlotte really that idealistic/gullible?), what keeps the film together is the sense of shared humanity- for better and for worse. There are some shocking twists and turns along the way, but this densely layered film deserves the widespread critical acclaim it received and is a distinct piece of art.