By Ed Koch
“Crossing the Bridge:
The Sound of Istanbul” (-)
I read several reviews of this documentary that extolled it. The intent was to record the music of Turkey and exhibit the sights of Istanbul. Regrettably, it did not meet my expectations.
A few interesting performances are shown including a recording of a Turkish rock band and a woman singing in Kurdish, a language that has only been allowed in Turkey since 1990. But the art of the travelogue appears to be lost. No real attempt was made by the director, Fatih Akin, to display scenes of Istanbul, although single archival photographs are shown.
I recently saw “La Tropical,” featuring Cuba’s music and dance, which was terrific. The music selections in this film on Turkey, however, never caused me to tap my feet or move my body the way the Cuban beat did.
“An Inconvenient Truth” (+)
This documentary by Al Gore is superb from the first to last frame including the credits. It is also the best presentation that he has ever made – concise, informative and occasionally humorous. Had Gore been this charming and erudite when he ran in the 1988 Democratic presidential primary, he might have won. Similarly so when he ran against George W. Bush in 2000.
I was one of the few public officials who supported Gore when he ran in 1988. Mike Dukakis won that primary and was defeated in the general election.
The documentary seeks to sell the audience on the reality of global warming due to the Greenhouse gas phenomenon that thickens the atmosphere, preventing the sun’s rays from escaping into space. Those trapped rays heat up the earth, causing the ice caps to collapse in the Arctic, Antarctic and Greenland. It is feared that their melting will ultimately cause the ocean waters to rise 20 feet which will devastate huge land areas around the world, including Florida and Manhattan.
Gore makes the point that those who criticize the concept of global warming and its expected horrendous consequences are, for the most part, not scientists but rather lobbyists for commercial opponents. Many believe they will suffer economically if immediate measures are taken to offset global warming. If the opponents don’t mount a similar effort and document their counter arguments, they will permanently lose the battle for the minds and hearts of those willing to evaluate the facts, and they have in fact lost the argument to date.
Regardless of which side you are on at the moment, you should see this film. Al Gore is an excellent teacher, and you will learn a lot and have a good time while you do. The color of his suit and the earth tones that he adopted in the last campaign become unimportant as the power of his brain and arguments dance across the screen.
