Rhythm Is It!
Rhythm Is It! is an award award-winning German documentary from 2004 by Thomas Grube and Enrique Sánchez Lansch.
Action
In February 2003, the Berlin Philharmonic and its chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle began a project with 250 children and young people from 25 nations. According to the directions of the choreographers and dance teachers Royston they rehearse the performance of Igor Stravinsky's ballet Le sacre du printemps.
Just six weeks probationary period have the students, mostly from Berlin " problem schools " of which no one is familiar with classical music and dance. Maldoom until then had been successfully staged, among others, with street children in Ethiopia and with young offenders in England Stravinsky's ballet. During this phase three of the young people will be presented in more detail: Martin, who has difficulty getting involved with people who want them but do not affect in the dance sequences, the little German -speaking war orphan Olayinka from Nigeria, which helps to participate in the project, other people know. And Marie, who holds at the beginning of lazy and then it decides to make the high-school diploma, while her friend soon, but gets off at the next station goes again.
The film shows the development of young people who draw confidence from the growing success and mature as a person. It also shows the chaos of the samples, the unmotivated beginning of the youth and the interventions of the concerned teachers who fear their students would be overwhelmed by Maldoom. The end and the big highlight is the highly acclaimed performance at the Arena Berlin.
The project was continued due to the popularity. The Berlin Philharmonic continued their cooperation with other ballets and choreographers in the following years.
Criticism
"One of the best films ever made about educational issues. The film ... it comes to revive an originally German discussion - a discussion about the methods of education. The film juxtaposes the principle of power and will of the idea of understanding and chumminess. ... RHYTHM IS IT! of course only shows the successes revels in Berlin pathetic images, mixed horrible Hollywood music under the scenes. We are not told how many students are jumped. "
" The filmmakers Thomas Grube and Enrique Sánchez Lansch use Stravinsky's piece not only as incidental music, they bind with it repeatedly Berlin townscapes in the history of a performance, impressions of a fascinating, dodgy urbanity. The most exciting moments but show choreographer Royston during sample work with young people. Maldoom is the heart of the film: a magician, an alchemist of enthusiasm, who gives himself provocatively to recognize at the beginning as a strict teacher ".
" RHYTHM IS IT! pursuing this incredible process of creating a work of art. Thanks to the decent camera, the viewer is drawn into an event that really should have been shipwrecked due to his conditions. As an example ... for all, the viewer learns some loners know from students who find out by experience with the music of their isolation. Both Rattle and the directors of the rousing documentary dared much and obviously won. "
Awards
- 2005: Bavarian Film Award for Best Documentary
- 2005: German Critics Prize
- 2005: German Film Award for Best Documentary
- 2005: German Film Award for Best Editing
- 2006: ECHO Klassik Best DVD of the Year