Trip to Asia - Die Suche nach dem Einklang (2008)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Thomas Grube

Writer:

Thomas Grube (writer)

Release Date:

28 February 2008 (Germany)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

Director Thomas Grube (RHYTHM IS IT!) and his accomplished film crew accompany the Berlin Philharmonic on a concert tour into six pulsating...

Cast

Simon Rattle	...	Himself
Virginie Reibel	...	Herself - Piccoloflöte
Micha Afhkam	...	Himself - Bratsche
Raphael Haeger	...	Himself - Schlagzeug
Long Yu	...	Himself
Martin Stegner	...	Himself - Bratsche
Daniel Stabrawa	...	Himself - 1. Konzertmeister
Toru Yasunaga	...	Himself - 1. Konzertmeister
Albrecht Mayer	...	Himself - Oboe
Stanley Dodds	...	Himself - 2. Violine
Sarah Willis	...	Herself - Horn
Thomas Timm	...	Himself - 2. Violine
Wieland Welzel	...	Himself - Pauken
Martin von der Nahmer	...	Himself - Bratsche
Manfred Preis	...	Himself - Bassklarinette

Also Known As:

Trip to Asia (Germany) (short title)
Trip to Asia: The Quest for Harmony (International: English title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | English | Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Beijing, China

Company:

BoomtownMedia GmbH & Co.

Quotes:

Simon Rattle: "Einklang" is what we aspire to.

Deeply moving account of the BPO on tour

Screened in the UK as part of the BBC's 'Imagine...' arts series.

Thomas Grube's documentary is fairly straightforward, following the members of arguably the world's greatest orchestra on a tour of the Far East. What what might otherwise have become a drifting hagiograph is focused in frank conversation with orchestral members. A narrative Sturm und Drang emerges as some of those turn out to be prospective new members on their lengthy probabtion (we learn of their fate in the closing credits).

The most effective construction decision though is to intercut the usual woolly words about ensemble with scenes from the busy Eastern cities in which the orchestra finds itself. The civil, political and cultural parallels of trying to get the best from a group of individuals are manifold and subtle.

Grube takes care to allow musical extracts just enough room to breathe and support claims of the orchestra's prowess without supplanting the real interest of the film. Informative, inspiring, highly but deftly detailed: very, very good indeed. 9/10