The Edge of Heaven (Akin, 2007): Mini-Film Review

The Edge of Heaven, which is in German, Turkish, and English, is often cited as a transnational film for good reason--it presents multiple depictions of travel, border crossings, and images of planes loading and unloading (in this case, unforgettable) cargo. In addition to the imagery, the dialogue illustrates what it's like to have one foot in two different states:

Bookseller: What's your occupation?
Nejat: I'm a professor of German in Germany.
Bookseller: That would be funny if a Turkish professor of German from Germany ends up in a German bookshop in Turkey... That fits!

Yet on the whole, rather than revealing global connectivity, the film is memorable for it's representations of disconnect. By presenting miscommunications, mis-recognitions, and inequalities that result from international policies, the film shows that transnational interconnections that should bring people closer together--such as those celebrated in trade, media, and transportation advertisements--remain hindered by income inequality, psychological burdens, and that age-old nemesis: poor timing. Perhaps the most memorable critique occurs at the ending: the credits roll before all of the conflicts set into motion have been resolved, suspending the film's narratives indefinitely.