Customer Reviews

The Ramallah Concert - Knowledge Is the Beginning/West-Eastern Divan Orchestra/Barenboim

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This is a well done, honest commentary on Barenboim and Said's wonderful idea to break down the barriers of ignorance and mistrust by creating an orchestra which combines young Israeli and Arab musicians from various countries. Barenboim, Said, Ma and several of the orchestra members talk about their experiences, all leading to the exciting concert at Ramallah, the fulfilment of much planning and assistance. Second DVD with the Ramallah concert itself is a joy with so many talented young musicians playing Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar.

I had the pleasure to meet with the Maestro when I was in Europe many years ago. What he has done through music is simply inspirational. If we could only make music not war.....

Through this project, Said and Barenboim have done something that no politicians are able to accomplish. It's an amazing story that revived the dream (despite the current bleak reality) that one day Arabs and Israeli may be able to reconcile and live in harmony.

This is an excellent music item and political item. It shows the attitudes of young Arab and Israeli musicians about working together, and, to some extent, about the political situation they are in. The footage of Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said expressing their perspectives is very moving. We see how, over the years, this collaborative effort has developed. The second disk is largely a complete and fine performance by the youth orchestra.

Extraordinarily important and beautiful documentaries. EVeryone concerned about the troubles in our world will find hope and promise in the Barenboim-Said collaboration and the process they created that enables gifted young musicians from different worlds learn to make exquisite music together.

Knowledge Is the Beginning/West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and The Ramallah Concert (2 DVDs) are a powerful tribute to the work of Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said. Moving through the process of making a dream come true shows clearly their vision and commitment to the concept of building an orchestra in the Middle East composed of young musicians who would otherwise never meet one another given the fragmented world they are growing up in. Yo-Yo Ma's participation was a real bonus too. The great honesty in the interviews and the dedication and willingness to take personal risks, especially by Barenboim, to make it happen are transparent. Also, seeing how things grew more quickly than they expected prove that sometimes life is on a schedule all it's own and we can facilitate, but not dictate the terms. This two part package makes for a very moving experience, not just once but time and time again. On my second viewing I was more deeply touched than the first time by Barenboim's boldness in the face of the stark political realities through out the region.

I searched everywhere for this DVD set, and finally found it at a company called JPC in Germany. Thanks to the devalued dollar, I paid twice what Amazon would have charged me, but let me tell you: IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY. I know I will watch this over and over, and can't wait to share it with friends and family. Barenboim's and Said's project defines what it means to be human: recognize the "other's" humanity.

This is one of the most phenomenal, honest, and moving productions I have ever seen on fostering hope for Arab-Israeli conversations through mentoring opportunities for being creatively human together in music. the music is all the more extraordinary in the context of a film that documents an extraordinary and tragically unique concert, as well as the tensions that perpetuate discord. A must-see that one wants to own and show among friends, but I had to track it down through a library. It needs to be back "in print"--and quickly! Together the vision of Barenboim and Said has changed lives, perhaps even saved lives, rebuilding the world.

When a one human being sets an example of the highest quality of human endeavor and consciousness, each one of us learns how to become like-minded in such expression and action.Daniel Barenboim's film is true inspiration and guidance. This film should be viewed and shared among all those who strive to create a more harmonic, intelligently creative world.

This two-DVD set, Knowledge is the Beginning (part 1) and Concert at Ramallah (part 2) has been listed as "unavailable" on Amazon for at least three years. Yet Amazon in the UK and someone in Germany (see review above) do sell it on line. I'd buy it there but it would not work on US equipment. So, Amazon, what's the story? Is someone leaning on Amazon not to sell it because it so movingly portrays the possibility of Jewish-Arab rapprochement?