Crossing Bridges (2013) User Reviews

A story of a man living between two worlds.

[rishabhkatoch · 7/10 · 30 March 2020]

The story is of a man named Tashi, who hails from the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh at the North eastern frontier of India. Tashi loses his job in the IT sector and returns home from Mumbai after eight years. What follows is his struggle to readjust to a life so distant to the fast paced city life that he struggles and yearns to get back.

The movie is a slow burn and the stillness of the movie sets well with the beautiful landscape and people of Arunachal. It's a wonderful exploration of a life that many people across India could relate to despite it seeming so foreign and exotic. Because this is a story of many people living in thousands of cities and villages who are leaving behind their families in order to make a better life for themselves in the cities. Hence I'm sure many can empathise with Tashi as he struggles to settle down to a slower paced lifestyle having tasted the energy of the urban India.

The movie is also a reminder of an India that hardly many of us know about. And movies like these can help people in the mainland to realize what India's diversity truly is. Personally I hope to see more of such cinema coming out of North East made by the locals, especially in the age of OTT platforms.

My only criticism would be that the movie can be a bit too slow sometimes and also the romance in the movie seemed a bit forced. Although both the lead actors as well as supporting cast has done a wonderful job.

A wonderful journey of life

[yafiqul-anam · 8/10 · 28 April 2022]

What an excellent movie, but it is sad that mainstream Indian Audience even don't know about this masterpiece. The film is almost poetic and the scenes of nature will mesmerize you. The story of a man conflicted between modernity and roots. A must watch for everyone, and people should watch this film to know more about the wonderful cultures and people of the North Eastern India.

Loved it

[sonagar03 · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

If you enjoy Drama, this one is just perfect for you. Go for it without any second thoughts. Good story line. Good story telling. Amazing location. Perfect...

About a city man trying to find roots in his native town.

[dakter-esse · 27 August 2014]

Watched a film produced, directed and shot in Arunachal, "Crossing Bridge". Here goes my personal review on the movie that I call, "Contemplating life".

Shot in a beautiful place in Arunachal not less than any abroad destinations used in Bollywood films. The snow clad picturesque beauty gives the movie an eye catching edge. The blue print is simple and clear with very less rise and fall in sensory aspect. However, with the cinematography all framed under the extremely well block shots of scenic beauty narrates the life of a man that missed acknowledging the essence of originality in the hustle and bustle of city life. Crossing Bridge, is metaphorical for the log bridge over the gurgling brooks, see through streams over colorful pebbles and thus explains the transition that takes place in the life of this once lost man (the hero). For what seemed to be new to this city man, of the many; finding butter tea tasteless (traditional tea), struggling to walk straight over the bridge, TV being the ultimate rescuer of boredom, unwarranted telecoms network failure, narratives of spirits so on landed him to a place he had to know he belonged to. Meeting once lost love in an weird circumstance does nothing great to him other than telling him, "where he really belong to". Throughout the time that took this man to adjust were he was born, made him at the end realize, the "Recession" in Mumbai city, to which he called a "Holiday Break" came handy and worthwhile. The best thing about this movie is that it leaves enough imagination landscapes for the viewers to take home.. "open end" was the way the film maker choose to conclude.

N:B:- If you are not a fan of linear phase films and need the EOS (element of surprise) effect, this is not the film you would be looking for to spend 90 minutes. If you look abstract connections in films, this film is definitely the choice you would make.

Best from Arunachal Pradesh

[kewalpatel2 · 10/10 · 2 December 2019]

It's first movie I seen from Arunachal Pradesh. Must watch for knowing Arunachal Pradesh Culture and Tradition

Watch it to see what we as city dwellers are missing

[shivsuryan · 9/10 · 11 July 2020]

Just to sum it up. Stillness. This movie has the unspeakable stillness that we experience very rarely. Watching it might even change your perspective of life. The actors are natural. Special mention of the camera department and Background score. Awesome.

Coming Back to One's Self

[das-d · 7/10 · 26 April 2020]

This is a brilliant film. I never even heard the name of the film, and so I was really startled, once I started watching it. For me it never became a 'home-coming' film as some people have commented on these user pages. All through this film meant a coming back to one's self. If Modi & Co had not made any reference to Old Hindu Scriptures equally vulgar, I would like to say, it seemed like the 'know thyself' journey as in Upanishad. After the film ended, I discovered that I was too trying to answer that extremely difficult question of the child -- why their own festivals are not mentioned there in their own books. The brilliance of the film resided in its not being judgmental -- not for a single moment, anywhere in the film. In Tashi's trying to know his 'self' he allowed both himself and us in knowing the reality -- not passing judgments about anything. (If any of you know anything about the director, I would really like to know, please post it here.)

Awesome

[jerrinissacsam-74409 · 8/10 · 9 May 2021]

As a guy from down south, i never new about the culture of north east. This movie just pains an awesome picture about the culture, livelihood and other nuances of northeast tribal life. And acting is also pretty good. As a guy in his thirties i can pretty much relate to the protagonist. Movies like this should get more views. Bravo.

A hidden gem!

[monarchs-00882 · 10/10 · 6 February 2021]

I am writing this letter to give you my tit bits about what and how I felt after I finished watching Crossing Bridges. Right from the beginning I was awestruck with the beautiful cinematography and the emphasis to minor details of a Village in that particular part of Arunachal was shown. The family system, the infrastructural issues, education, medical services, the occult practices all beaded in the story eloquently. The intrinsic natural beauty of West Kameng made all this totally a different ballgame. Tashi's apprehensions were shown beautifully, especially when he had to make decisions. The character of a little confused yet confident middle aged man was well played. The protagonist's mother was one of my favorite characters in the movie, the way she diffused serious matters was cute in t is own ways. Tashi's father too was played well, how he inundated Tashi with home chores and responsibilities was worth a watch. Tashi's friends were too, cool guys and I liked the guy friends sense of humor assimilated in the whole movie. The plot was made so well that every character was special in its own ways, from the school children to the TV seller. From all the characters in the movies I found Anila's character a little shy and sad right from her first scene. It was mesmerizing to know later in the storyline that she was sad because she had to go to Delhi and got married there. It'd have been better if Tashi and Anila were given more time together and how they fell in love with each other but the filmmakers made it sure to achieve it in lesser time intelligently. When we juxtapose the characters of Tashi and Anila we see one one side Tashi wants to leave the village in his first breath but on the other side Anila even from Shillong wants to be there and even go up high in the mountains to see her birthplace, which was an excellent symbolism for her love to the motherland and her profession as a teacher. The deep breathes taken by Anila here and then made here character more mystical. I'd also like to highlight here that the way Anila remained the pillar of storyline without saying much made her character a lot to think about, she was the one who made it for Tashi to finally "cross the bridge" on his own. I'd also like to mention here my thoughts about the shimmering fire observed by Tashi and as to how it symbolized Tashi's destiny itself. The way Dorgee was lost in Jungle and then went to a mysterious beautiful place attracted by a beautiful woman but when came back died shows somewhat the stor of Tashi himself. He too got lost in his own village (example of butter tea and difficulties crossing the bridge) and then fell in love with Anila, had a revelation and it was upto him if wanted to stay there or go back to Mumbai and die (symbolic) there. Even after Anila went to Delhi Tashi made it sure to drive up to the mountains and take pictures of snowfall gave the movie the ending everyone would fall in love with. Not to mention here how wonderful the background music of this movie is, especially during the closing credits. I also loved how the film producer made sure to mention the names of every one who appeared in the movie even for few seconds.

Hidden treasure, not a movie

[sauravmajumdar · 9/10 · 13 March 2021]

Wow, just finished on Amazon prime. What a movie. Don't want add spoilers, go watch it.

What a great film!

[MovieIQTest · 25 April 2015]

We absolutely enjoyed it very much! I just couldn't believe that a film out of India does not have the formulaic annoying totally irrelevant dancing and singing we usually saw from the crappy Bollywood. This film is so poetically beautiful. All the actors in this film are so natural, they are telling you a story without too much stuffed materials in it, the storyline is straightforward simple, actually not too much to tell, the dialog is minimal. It only shows you another kind of life and living in the high mountain villages. people live there are almost away from everything, yet they are peaceful and accept what they are facing about day after day. The simple lifestyle is not what the city people could imagine. What we have seen is a lifestyle without stress, anxiety, greed, even hope. The life in the high mountains is a life that just moves on, those people embrace their destiny in a simple-minded way.

We saw the guy gradually transformed himself and slowly got his root back. The transformation was so subtle and natural. The mountains, the scenery, the people around him, gradually gave him a peaceful mind, allowed him to have a real sense of belonging finally. It seems that by watching this film, it also gave you some sort of peacefulness of your soul, making you even envy him to have such opportunity to find himself back home.

This is a great film without any pretentiousness and falsehood. A film just showed you a very simple line from A to B. It showed you that there are so many bridges you have wrongly and mistakenly crossed over, and you indeed need some luck and guts to go back by crossing them with determination.

Loveable village tale

[omkar1984 · 8/10 · 11 April 2019]

A humble and pleasant tale of discovering and holding to your roots. The micro-budget film was shot on a 5D Canon camera and is in Shertukpen dialect of Arunachal Pradesh. The village premises, the characters are realistic. The transformation of Tashi, the main character, from a restless, eager to rush back to the city man to a villager rediscovering his roots is endearing. Do watch, if you love idyllic life, are attached to your native place and prefer no-nonsense, bland movies.

A primitivist fairy tale

[ersbel · 22 July 2017]

Life is bad in the city and the main character is not qualified enough to avoid unemployment. Life is worse in the village. So the wise advice goes : "find a wife and make some children".

A film made by men, for men. Most women here are ranked mothers, a glorified form of cattle. The access to hospital goes on a few decrepit bridges and even a fell down tree as an improvised passage over cold water, than waiting for the daily bus to pass. There is power in the town : one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. So what is so nice about the place? Well, watch the movie.

Not only the utopia does not exist. But even in this fairy tale it is made possible by the city people's money: the road, the power, the TVs, phones and most clothing items.

Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch