There appear to be a new release of a 2021 documentary about an orchestra of Israelis and Palestinians in which all the instruments have been retrieved from dumps or are broken almost beyond repair. The metaphor, and the current relevance, require no further commentary.
Here’s part of a review:
Dozens of dilapidated instruments are lined up in a warehouse. Each one bears a number; a slip of paper lists the damage: broken sound boxes, torn strings, broken pegs, rusted valves, or worn-out skins. They’re all waiting for a very special concert; the composers have written three works especially for an orchestra with mostly damaged instruments. One hundred participants form an exotic ensemble in which everyone is welcome: amateurs and professionals, Israelis and Palestinians of all ages.
Israeli filmmakers Yuval Hameiri and Michal Vakinin focus on the four days of rehearsals for this event, for which some participants endured grueling journeys from Gaza. However, little is revealed about the musicians’ motivation and personal circumstances, nor about why the instruments weren’t repaired or how the idea for this project came about….
The documentary film “The Orchestra with the Broken Instruments” also highlights problems that may seem banal but pose a major challenge for those affected. For example, a violinist complains of communication problems caused by poor eyesight. Without her reading glasses, she cannot decipher the music, but with the glasses on, she cannot see the conductor. Expensive varifocal glasses, which would be needed to resolve the conflict, are probably out of the question. Other participants cannot read music at all and make do with notes in their scores. But the will and ambition to create something together is so great among all those involved that the ambitious project succeeds.
Read on here.
The post The orchestra with broken instruments appeared first on Slippedisc.
