CRESCENDO

2020, 109 minutes, Colour.
Peter Simonischek, Sabrina Amali, Mehdi Meskar, Daniel Donskoy, Eyan Pinkovich, Bibiano Beglau.
Directed by Dror Zahavi.

A film that can be recommended to audiences interested in Israel and the Palestinians, the conflicts before the establishing of the state of Israel, the consequent occupation of Palestine by Israel, uprisings and wars, proposals of the two state country, and, at times, the seeming futility of these hopes and ambitions.

All this is dramatised in an interesting narrative, which involves the interest of the audience, consideration of the characters and their issues, their entanglements, but also eliciting quite an emotional response from the audiences towards the characters and their situations.

An entrepreneur from an international charity has the idea to raise money through a concert, the performers being young musicians from both Palestine and Israel. She approaches a renowned German conductor, Eduard (Peter Simonischek, who made such an impression as Toni Erdmann). He is wary, his parents being active Nazis, doctors in a concentration camp, responsible for many Jewish deaths. However, he is persuaded to audition the musicians.

The screenplay is very sympathetic towards the Palestinians, highlighting two families, the family of her taxi driver who is skilled with clarinet and trained his son, Omar, as a musician and plays at Jewish weddings. Layla, on the other hand, is a talented musician, studying, supported by her father, but her mother, fierce in her denunciation of Israel and its violence, is supposed to her participation in the concert. There is a telling scene where Layla is held up by a young Israeli soldier, a dominating young woman, while Omar’s father is forbidden to cross into Israel to go to the audition in Tel Aviv.

One of the benefits of the screenplay, giving some moments for quiet and reflection, is the inclusion of classical pieces, from Bach, Dvorak’s New World Symphony, Vivaldi’s Winter.

Eduard conducts the auditions, sight unseen, accepting some pianists, asking Omar and a young Israeli girl that he meets, Shira, who plays the French horn, to work together. One Israeli girl, rejected, exhibits a huge tantrum, indicating the easily aroused temper of Israelis who are thwarted.

Eduard appoints Layla as first violinist and in charge of rehearsals, arousing another tantrum in Ron, a skilled violinist. In many ways, this is a sign of what is going to happen throughout the rehearsals, some concessions, especially on the part of Daniel, but other musicians ever ready to erupt and attack. Eduard spends a lot of time, as does the film, showing various exercises in which the two sides are asked to vent their animosities, then try to look each other in the eye, getting them to collaborate, to be together on the camp for rehearsals, especially when they move to the beautiful scenery of the Austrian Tyrol, Eduard’s home.

There is a subplot with Omar and Shira, falling in love, deciding to run away, falling foul of a hostile local group who have already attacked the ensemble during a bike ride in the mountains. There are again severe consequences, further rousing of hostilities, culminating in the two groups at the Bolzano airport, a glass partition between them, each glaring at the other.

However, there is a moving combination, not a solution, but… Daniel takes the initiative to play his violin, Layla responding, the others gradually joining in as they play Ravel’s Bolero, the various musicians playing as the successive movements of Bolero continue, moving towards what the title of the film says in musical terms but in hopes of some kind of reconciliation, Crescendo.


1. The title? In terms of music? In terms of the conflict? And the finale with Ravel’s Bolero?

2. The settings? The Palestinian town, the streets, homes? The border with Israel and the long lines? Tel Aviv, the concert hall? The contrast with the South to roll, the beauty of the countryside, the mountains, the accommodation, the rehearsal rooms?

3. The musical score, the background music, the classics including Dvorak, Vivaldi, Bach…?

4. The idea, a response to the Israeli- Palestinian situation? Possibilities for peace, understanding, reconciliation? The corporate interest, raising money for support? The artistic interest? A concert, music to reconcile?

5. Karla and her approach, personality, businesslike? In touch with Israeli security? The approach to Eduard? Her proposal? His hesitation, his age, past conducting career, teaching, his wariness about his parents – and the later revelation that they were both doctors in Birkenau, responsible for Jewish deaths, their attempt to escape to Argentina, their being shot down? His being saved? And throughout his life, many regrets? Shame but the motivation to move forward?

6. The proposal for the concert, in Tel Aviv, rehearsals? The choosing of 100 musicians? Young? The buildup to the auditions, the range of musicians arriving? The blind rehearsals, Eduard’s response, invitation, rejection? The tantrum of the Israeli girl refused?

7. The teaser at the opening, the phone screen and Omar and Shira talking, their parents, love, the plan to run away? On the road, held up by the truck, the dark, the running, Omar’s death? The consequences?

8. Layla and her violin talent, continued practice, the noise in the streets, the teargas, closing windows? The support of her father? The demands and anger of her mother? Going to the checkpoint, the young Israeli woman and her demands, taking Layla aside? The story of Omar, the clarinet, the training by his father, their playing at weddings, his age, uncertainty, held up at the checkpoint, the not allow his father through? Recommendation to prayer? Meeting Layla, their arriving together, just in time? Their performances? Layla successful, Omar given the piece to practice with Shira?

9. Waiting, tensions between the two groups, Omar and his talking to Shira, her response, the French horn, their playing together, the bonding?

10. Eduard, in Israel,, his heritage, his manner with the auditions, with the students? The discussion with Layla and Ron? Appointing Layla, Ron and his tantrum, his return, the reaction of the students, the many civil war in the auditorium? Eduard and his response?

11. The family backgrounds in Palestine, the discussions about rehearsals, Layla’s angry mother, the hurts of the past? Omar and his father? The issue of going to Europe for three weeks?

12. Eduard and his handing the fighting, the rehearsals and his criticism of Layla and her technique, Ron, their not listening to each other?

13. The range of exercises that Eduard conducted, two lines, not touching, hurling abuse at one another? Sitting back to back? The telling of stories, the Palestinians and persecution, Israel’s taking over the homes? The Israelis and the accusations of murder and terrorism? Getting them to move amongst each other giving some kind of acknowledgement? The overall effect? They’re playing together, Dvorak and success?

14. Security difficulties? Transferring the concert to the Southern Tyrol? The group settling in? How many? Some friendships, collaborations? Omar, shy, the friendship with Shira, the swim, the sexual encounter?

15. Shira, her girlfriend, the photos and videos, her angry family, sending her uncle to bring her home? The proposal that the concert be on television? Hopes?

16. The exclusion to the country, the car in pursuit, the sabotage, people falling from their pipe bikes, the paint bomb on Eduard? The security issues following? The connection of this incident with the death of Omar?

17. Reaction to the death of Omar, Layla and her anger, the fighting amongst the group, the resumption of the Civil War? The cancellation of the concert?

18. The two groups at the airport, the glass barrier between them, the screen with the image of Omar, Ron taking initiative, challenging Layla, playing Ravel, everybody joining in – a musical collaboration, overcoming ideological difficulties, the crescendo? The fade to black and leaving the issues and the musical experience with the audience?