Between Two Notes
Le Blues de l'Orient
Director: Florence Strauss
France/Canada 2006 85 mins
Language: Arabic/English/French/Hebrew with English subtitles
Director: Florence Strauss
France/Canada 2006 85 mins
Language: Arabic/English/French/Hebrew with English subtitles
‘When you put your ear close to the earth of this place and listen, you don’t hear
jazz…’
These are the words of one of the many musicians in this musical road movie that moves between Iraq and Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, Israel and Egypt. It echoes the deep links between places and people across the vast territory of the Middle East where classical Arab music has served as a common source of joy, and a unique form of expression, for the diverse communities of the region. In her attempt to trace her own hidden cultural heritage, filmmaker Florence Strauss gives voice to the great masters of Arab music like Umm Kulthum and Abdelwahab and to the quarter tones which touch Jewish, Muslim and Christian heritage alike. This is a love song to Arab music, played against the backdrop of Laurent Brunet’s magnificent images of the land and its people. It is also a serious study of the cultural links between the different communities of the Middle East.
jazz…’
These are the words of one of the many musicians in this musical road movie that moves between Iraq and Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, Israel and Egypt. It echoes the deep links between places and people across the vast territory of the Middle East where classical Arab music has served as a common source of joy, and a unique form of expression, for the diverse communities of the region. In her attempt to trace her own hidden cultural heritage, filmmaker Florence Strauss gives voice to the great masters of Arab music like Umm Kulthum and Abdelwahab and to the quarter tones which touch Jewish, Muslim and Christian heritage alike. This is a love song to Arab music, played against the backdrop of Laurent Brunet’s magnificent images of the land and its people. It is also a serious study of the cultural links between the different communities of the Middle East.
2E2E2E.jpg "Between Two Notes")
The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director of the film, Florence Strauss, Parvathi Raman and Abigail Wood.
Abigail Wood is Joe Loss lecturer in Jewish Music at SOAS. Her current research interests include contemporary Ashkenazi Jewish music and music in immigrant communities in Israel.
Parvathi Raman is a lecturer in Social Anthropology at SOAS. Her research interests include the politics and culture of South Asian communities in Diaspora. She is also chair of the new Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies at SOAS.