They Came to Play (2008)

Chronicles the Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation. Players from all over the world, ranging from self-taught to ... See full summary »

Director:

Alex Rotaru

Stars:

Henri Robert Delbeau, Mark Fuller, Clark Griffith

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Henri Robert Delbeau	...	Himself
Mark Fuller	...	Himself
Clark Griffith	...	Himself
Ken Iisaka	...	Himself
Slava Levin	...	Himself
Drew Mays	...	Himself
Suzanna Perez	...	Herself
Richard Rodzinski	...	Himself
Esfir Ross	...	Herself
Kathy Trafton	...	Herself

Storyline

Chronicles the Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation. Players from all over the world, ranging from self-taught to classically-trained, aged thirty-five to almost eighty, convene in Fort Worth, Texas for a week of intense competition, music and camaraderie. The film the film provides an intimate look into the lives of these colorful, multi-faceted competitors as they strive to balance the demands of work and family with their love of music. Years of dedicated preparation culminate in critical performances before a professional jury and discerning audience during three nerve-wracking elimination rounds.

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Plot Keywords:

piano | claim in title

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 2008 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

88 Films, Vault, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Doc with Wonderful Music and Quirky Characters

Every four years the Van Cliburn Foundation sponsors an amateur piano competition for anyone over 35 years of age. As many documentaries do, it selects several of the competitors, from around the world, and features their personalized stories and how they were led to the competition.

I found the interviews with some of the pianists, who had such diverse backgrounds and individual stories, to be the heart of the film. Most of the competitors had fascinating stories to tell of their lives. Their personalities were quite quirky and I was very absorbed by it all.

The competition starts with 75 invitees, then is whittled down to 25 pianists, and then the six finalists. The camera follows each competitor as they prepare for their performances, how they handle the stress and anxiety.

Finally, you get to hear lots of great piano pieces as they compete.

The pacing of the documentary is well maintained, and I would reco to anyone who enjoys this type of film.