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Monday, March 22: THEY CAME TO PLAY @ 7:30pm
Live piano performances from Ken Iisaka and Esfir Ross on a Steinway grand piano courtesy of Sherman Clay.
“A documentary of outstanding merit…a brilliant multiple character study, an in-depth look at how music is made...” -- Janos Gereben, San Francisco Classical Voice
Life comes between us and our dreams. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to be reunited.
They Came to Play is a multi-award-winning, uplifting feature-length documentary chronicling the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation.
Top amateur pianists 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 competition, music and camaraderie.
“They Came to Play is both entertaining and touching, with a marvelously quirky cast of characters that reminds you why documentary films are so much more surprising than fictional ones.” --Mark Harris, Oscar Winner, Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport
Entertaining and above all, inspiring, 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 top-level performances before a professional jury and discerning audience during three nerve-wracking elimination rounds.
All of the film's heroes have made their careers outside of music in fields ranging from medicine to business, and professional tennis to education. For competitors who have faced such extraordinary challenges as drug addiction, AIDS, or political asylum, the competition is also a triumph over adversity. For all, it represents an overwhelming desire to express a deeper side of themselves, musically and otherwise.
“...a wonderful and inspiring chronicle of amateur musicians with a lust for life that is truly infectious.” --Bryant Manning, Chicago Sun Times
Commentary from noted American pianist Van Cliburn and gold medalists from the Foundation’s professional competition, along with outstanding performances of great classical masterworks—from Beethoven to Alkan and from Rachmaninoff to Barber—complement the action in a film that celebrates the creator and the competitor in each of us.
They Came to Play is an 88 Films production directed by Alex Rotaru, produced by Lori Miller, and executive produced by Ronnie Planalp. It features amateur pianists including Esfir Ross, Dr. Drew Mays, Clark Griffith, and Annette Dimedio. They Came to Play’s running time is 91 minutes.
“For moviegoers who love classical music, this is a great movie...for moviegoers who dont love classical music, this is a great movie.” --Tom Gallaher, Grants and Gov. Relations Seminole Tribe of Florida
PERFORMING LIVE AT THE BALBOA
Esfir Ross – a dental assistant living in Oakland, CA described as “jolly” by one film critic, was not always so. Prior to the competition she was battling depression, and felt a lack of purpose in her life. She said “I had no idea that the competition existed, and by chance while at a friend’s house I found out about it just before the submission deadline...”
She did not expect that “the competition would change my life completely. It gave me a great purpose – to practice and perform for an audience, and now I’m going around the world, playing in different competitions, meeting people. I could not imagine that I would shake hands with Van Cliburn, and play in front of such a jury which includes people like Veda Kaplinsky, the head of the piano department at Juilliard, and Richard Dyer, the renown music critic.”
Ken Iisaka – an investment analyst from Mill Valley, CA talks about the competition, and his participation in the film:
"I have been playing the piano since I was a young child, and music has been a very important part of my life. As a professional in a different field, I yearned to connect with other amateur pianists, and my passion led me to participate in the competition to share my love with others. It was a gathering of kindred spirits, and I made important life-long friends.
Alex and the entire film crew were a part of the kindred spirits. Their passion and compassion in the art of filmmaking inspired me through their retelling of our tales, something very personal to us.”
Details at www.theycametoplay.com.
