ARTISTS VS. AUTOCRACY: Istanbul cinema crosses the bridge

Istanbul is home to some great filmmakers trying to speak truth to power... in a country where the power is less and less willing to let them. Host Rico Gagliano talks with two of the best — Emin Alper (BURNING) and Özcan Alper (AUTUMN) — about making art with a censor over your shoulder. He also takes a tour of Istanbul's historic cinemas... and is there to witness a dark day in Turkish politics. Part travelogue, part deep-dive storytelling, the latest season sees host Rico Gagliano jet off to Ireland , Amsterdam , Mexico City , Los Angeles and Istanbul , to learn about their cultures through the lens of cinema. Season 8’s guests include actors Gael García Bernal (AMORES PERROS) and Fiona Shaw (HOT MILK), writer/directors Rich Peppiatt (KNEECAP), Evan Goldberg (THE STUDIO) and Halina Reijn (BABYGIRL), producer Ed Guiney (POOR THINGS), production designer Eugenio Caballero (ROMA) and a host of other filmmakers, programmers, academics, cinema owners, critics, tour guides, and festival directors. CROSSING THE BRIDGE – THE SOUND OF ISTANBUL is now streaming on MUBI worldwide. CROSSING is now streaming in the US, Canada, Latin America, Germany and Turkey. To stream some of the films we've covered on the podcast, check out the collection Featured on the MUBI Podcast . Availability of films varies depending on your country. MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI makes, acquires, curates, and champions extraordinary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world. A place to discover ambitious new films and singular voices, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Each carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators.

You can listen to ARTISTS VS. AUTOCRACY: Istanbul cinema crosses the bridge online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

ARTISTS VS. AUTOCRACY: Istanbul cinema crosses the bridge is an episode from MUBI Podcast by MUBI.

This episode is 37:39 long.

This episode was published on Nov 13, 2025.

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