The brand new Sid Docs film series continues at the Sid Williams Theatre with Around The World In 50 Concerts on Monday Jan. 18.
“Can you imagine a single day in the world without music? I think that it would be like a scene from a science fiction film in which evil forces suddenly bring all movement – life itself - to a stop. A terrifying, frozen world,” said the film’s director Heddy Honigmann, a Dutch filmmaker known for evocative documentaries such as And Then One Day and Forever. She was the recipient of an Outstanding Achievement Award for at the 2007 Hot Docs Festival in Toronto.
“In [this film], the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) gives us a precious gift: incredibly beautiful music and their dedication to make it sound as perfect as possible. But like we all do, they also need listeners.”
Honigmann lands with the orchestra in Buenos Aires, Soweto, and St. Petersburg, and shows how the ensemble succeeds in gaining the hearts of people with different cultural backgrounds. The power of music brings forth unexpected emotions, helping to overcome the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is one of the very best orchestras in the world. But what makes the orchestra so special? Time and time again, critics have lauded its unique sound, which clearly stands out among thousands of others. Although sound is difficult to describe in words, the RCO’s string section has been called ‘velvety’, the sound of the brass ‘golden’, the timbre of the woodwinds ‘distinctly personal’, and the percussion have an international reputation.
Honigmann said she enjoyed the editing process and scoring the film to the orchestra’s own tracks. “It was rewarding to use beautifully recorded music and interweave it with dialogue. So music flows everywhere in the film, infiltrating and permeating every corner with its sinuous energy. Our audiences received it from the RCO and took it away from the concert halls into their hearts.”
Around The World In 50 Concerts screens Monday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
Other upcoming Sid Docs include Ballet 422 (March 21), The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young (April 25), and They Will Have To Kill Us First (May 9).
Tickets for these documentaries are $5 for the general public and $3 for members (plus applicable handling fees). Purchase in person at the Ticket Centre Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm, by phone 250.338.2430, or online at sidwilliamstheatre.com.
- Sid Williams Theatre Society