DOCUMENTARY: THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS

Morgenland Festival Amsterdam hosts the Dutch premiere of the film documentary The Music of Strangers. Director Morgan Neville has previously won an Oscar for his film 20 Feet from Stardom.

In The Music of Strangers, Neville follows several of the musicians in the internationally renowned Silk Road Ensemble. This project was initiated by Chinese-American composer and cello virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma, winner of several Grammy Awards. In 2014 he performed at a sold out Concertgebouw, celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Silk Road Ensemble.

Yo-Yo Ma has a richly varied career as a soloist, composer and initiator of many international music projects. He is driven by artistic growth and innovation and has a boundless curiosity for musical genres and cultures. For him, music is more than art; it is one of the most powerful means of communication between different cultures. He stimulates connectivity and loves to shift musical and physical boundaries. His Silk Road Ensemble connects musicians from all over the world.

Morgan Neville has translated his passion for Yo-Yo Ma’s project in a colorful, intimate portrait, a journey through several continents in search of the stories behind the musicians. The director has previously won an Oscar for his film 20 Feet from Stardom.

Since several of the protagonists in this film are closely involved in Morgenland Festival Amsterdam, we are excited to present this film premiere.

         

From 15 until 17 Sept the first edition of Morgenland Festival Amsterdam takes place at Bimhuis, in collaboration with Morgenland Festival Osnabrück. Since 2005 Morgenland Festival Osnabrück has programmed around 1000 musicians from Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Syria, Lebanon, Armenia, Israel, Turkey, Pakistan and China. After it’s succesful pilot edition last summer, Morgenland Amsterdam continues to provide a platform for experiment, complexity, nuance, dialogue and development.

 

‘Sensational – in cultural and political sense’
(Arte).

 

‘Pioneering Festival’ (Songlines).

The Bimhuis restaurant is open after the film from 7 til 9 PM (reservations via 020-7882158).