The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (2015)

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and other international artists of The Silk Road Project discuss their philosophies on music and culture.

Director:

Morgan Neville

Stars:

Yo-Yo Ma, Kinan Azmeh, Kayhan Kalhor

6 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Yo-Yo Ma	...	Self
Kinan Azmeh	...	Self
Kayhan Kalhor	...	Self
Cristina Pato	...	Self
Man Wu	...	Self
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jonathan Gandelsman	...	Self
Osvaldo Golijov	...	Self
Nicholas Ma	...	Self
Bobby McFerrin	...	Self
Kevork Mourad	...	Self
Dun Tan	...	Self
Kojiro Umezaki	...	Self
Tong Wu	...	Self

Storyline

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and other international artists of The Silk Road Project discuss their philosophies on music and culture.

---

Plot Keywords:

culture | artistic collaboration | musical collective | multicultural | multicultural band | 

---

Genres:

Documentary | Music

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

A poster for this film can be seen in The Big Bang Theory: The Line Substitution Solution (2016) when the guys are waiting in line at the theater.

---

Connections

Edited from From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1979)

User Reviews

charming

The subjects of this documentary are the renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, an international orchestra which he created. Some of the other members, renowned in their respective countries and regions, are also interviewed. They include Kinan Azmeh (from Syria), Kayhan Kalhor (a Kurdish Iranian living in exile), Wu Man (from the Chinese province of Zhejiang), and Cristina Pato (from the Celtic region of Galicia in northwestern Spain).

This film ably juxtaposes the spiritual beauty in discussions of music and culture against the troubles of the world including histories that are current (Syria), recent (Iran), and distant (the cultural revolution in China in the 1960s). These discussions also include the difficulty in maintaining culture and music during such difficult times. Similarly, modern economics is also a challenge to maintaining cultural history which is most important as many musical instruments are unique to certain countries and regions.

As the main interviewee, Ma is inspirational due to his modesty, his intelligence, and his ability to articulate the spirituality he sees in his art. It is also refreshing to witness someone who is world famous but who also seems resistant to the trashy and vulgar sides of fame.

One of the most gripping scenes is where Azmeh visits Syrian refugee camps in Syria and teaches basic music to a group of young girls. An aerial view of the camps is heart-wrenching.

With such a great collective of music, I was expecting a grand finale. The finale was pleasant though it could have been more emotional. While this film takes on great principles, it occasionally seems a bit too earnest. But when it covers so much beautiful music, art, architecture, and spiritual values, how can one not like it? It's no surprise that its director, Morgan Neville, directed another musical documentary "20 Feet from Stardom" which was one of the best movies of 2013.

Details

Official Sites:

BBC Four [United Kingdom] Official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English Mandarin Persian

Release Date:

18 November 2016 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

Filming Locations:

Istanbul, Turkey

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,614, 12 June 2016

Gross USA:

$1,176,781

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,259,588

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tremolo Productions, Participant

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color