Synopsis

Daniel Barenboim, the world renowned Israeli-Argentine conductor and pianist, and Edward Said, a Palestine-American English scholar established a foundation to contribute to both national peacemaking and reconciliation through music. As a result, the ‘West-Eastern Divan’ Orchestra, which Israeli and Arabic young musicians joined, was created in 1998. It was named after an anthology of poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe inspired by an Iranian poet Hafiz. Barenboim and Said held Cultural Studies lectures on the differences between the two cultures as well as a music camp with the orchestra and tried to overcome the gap of ignorance and hate between them. Sadly, Said died of leukemia in 2003 but Barenboim has followed up his last will with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Paul Smaczny has tried to find the first step towards peacemaking in the Middle East through filming Barenboim, Said and the orchestra over 6 years starting in 1999. The music concert in the Palestine Authority district of Ramallah, surrounded by armed soldiers in 2005, is especially one of the most moving scenes showing a triumph of art over politics.

감독

폴 슈마츠니

프로듀서, 각본가이자 감독인 폴 슈마츠니는 독일과 프랑스에서 법학, 프랑스 문학, 독일 문학, 연극영화를 전공했다. 그는 150여 편에 달하는 영화와 방송물을 제작, 연출하면서 지난 15년간 음악적으로 중요한 순간들을 카메라에 포착했다. 그의 영상에는 베를린 필하모닉, 루체른 음악축제, 베를린도이치국립오페라, 밀라노의 라 스칼라 등 세계적으로 저명한 오케스트라와 오페라 하우스가 담겨있다.