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Children and Music (8)
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... And MusicMichel Lam 2008 1 h 14 minA documentary that follows a year in the life of the children at Sacré-Coeur primary school, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, as they learn to play music. Filmmaker Michel Lam returns to the school where as a child, he learned piano and cello, to connect with the students and see how learning about music develops their curiosity, sense of autonomy and emotional intelligence. This gentle and powerful film explores the impact of arts teaching in children's eduction. -
An ArtistMichèle Cournoyer 1994 5 minIn this short animation, a girl is so carried away by her love of music that she forgets about her household chores. Her father tells her to finish the dishes. Instead of washing them, she turns them into musical instruments, and he finally recognizes her talent. Based on Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this film illustrates children's right to develop their talents and abilities to their fullest potential.
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Blood and WaterRohan Fernando 2007 1 h 17 minWhen the 2004 tsunami hit the coast of Sri Lanka, 65-year-old Anton Ambrose's wife and daughter were killed. "In five minutes," he says, "I lost everything."
A year later, Anton returns to Sri Lanka. With him is his nephew, award-winning filmmaker Rohan Fernando.
A Tamil, Anton moved to California in the 1970s and became a very successful gynecologist. His daughter, Orlantha, made the opposite journey, returning to Sri Lanka where she ran a non-profit group that gave underprivileged children free violin lessons. Anton and his wife, Beulah, were visiting her when the tsunami hit.
Blood and Water is the story of one man's search for meaning in the face of overwhelming loss, but it is also filled with improbable characters, unintentional comedy and situational ironies.
To honour Orlantha's work, Anton is building a music centre and hosting a fundraising concert. Eccentric characters and oddball events immediately take centre stage. Exiled Iranian country singer Ann Claire is focused on media attention as much as on the concert. Shondale, an energetic African American computer analyst, is so moved by Orlantha's story that she drops everything to become the concert's chief organizer. The concert itself loses money, although - in a final irony - some of the underprivileged children it is designed to serve come from among the richest families in the country.
Meanwhile, Anton tours his old neighbourhood, spends time with his daughter's closest friends and seeks out advice from the archbishop of Sri Lanka. ("That's life!" the archbishop says, when Anton describes his loss.)
All this against the backdrop of Sri Lanka - a country coming apart as the decades-old civil war between Tamil Tigers and the government heats up.
Ultimately, Blood and Water is a film about the coming to terms with loss. As Anton Ambrose seeks meaning in tragedy, he must re-evaluate all he has taken for granted. In so doing, he comes to understand his daughter better than he ever did when she was alive. -
Cornet at NightStanley Jackson 1963 14 minBased on a short story by Sinclair Ross, this short film recalls rural life on the Prairies in the 1930s. In the film a farmer's young son, sent to town to hire a man for the harvest, readily accepts when an itinerant trumpet player, down on his luck, begs a chance. He is hardly the kind of man the boy's father had in mind, but that night his trumpet speaks from the shadows and everyone pauses to listen.
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Gaston's RecitalAndré Melançon 1981 21 minThis short fiction film about a young boy torn between conflicting loyalties is resolved with humour and wisdom. Sunday, 2 o'clock, is zero hour for Gaston. He must be in two places at once: performing at a music recital and playing hockey with his teammates. What is Gaston to do?
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Mr. Mergler's GiftBeverly Shaffer 2004 30 minIn this short film from Oscar® winner Beverly Shaffer, 9-year-old prodigy Xin Ben takes lessons from Daniel Mergler, a piano teacher at the end of his career. In this remarkable story about a student and her mentor, Xin Ben and Mergler meet 26 times over the course of one year. During this time, Xin Ben illuminates Mergler's final months as an instructor with her youthful talent, and he, in return, lovingly guides her towards a life in music.
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Minor KeysMieko Ouchi 2004 53 minThe soaring notes of a violin lift through the air while confident young hands grasp the bow. Lifting the curtain on the little-understood world of the child musical prodigy, Minor Keys takes us into the lives of two exceptional violinists: 12-year-old Ewald Cheung, who dreams of playing the world's famous concert halls, and 18-year-old Jessica Linnebach, who is launching her professional career.
Filmed over an 18-month period, this engaging documentary charts the pressure-filled road these young musicians travel. From home and school to music lessons and competitions, they speak candidly about their dreams and fears.
James Keene, their inspiring teacher and a former child prodigy, looks back on his own childhood experiences to cast light on the stress of a glamorous but sometimes unkind business. The documentary also features interviews with renowned developmental psychologist Dr David Henry Feldman.
Mixing candid interviews, lively footage and stirring musical performances, Minor Keys offers a thought-provoking look at the ordinary children behind the extraordinary talents. -
Ready When You AreDouglas Kiefer & John N. Smith 1975 12 minThis short documentary takes a frank look at the difficulty of filmmaking before the digital era, when takes were precious and few. It’s pure havoc on a pier in the Halifax dockyards as a National Film Board crew attempts to film 1000 Halifax school children playing I Believe in Music on their ukuleles. The crew's efforts are confounded by two destroyers, one helicopter, several tugboats, bullhorns, walkie-talkies, and a rather critical lack of bathroom facilities.
