Film Review: They Came To Play

Film Review: They Came To Play

Directed by Alex Rotaru

www.theycametoplay.com

Film Festivals and Awards

• Lone Star International Film Festival
• Film Society of Lincoln Center
• Winner, Audience Award, 2008 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

By Cole Akins

(From left to Right) Alex Rotaru, Esfir Ross, and myself

They Came To Play rocked like a face-melting guitar solo, but instead of electric guitar, it was classical piano that inspired the entire audience to stand up and cheer. Alex Rotaru's documentary follows the best amateur piano players in the world as they compete in the Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in Fort Worth, Texas.

The premise for the film is simple: a group of top notch piano players competing for first prize. The competitors are everyday people from different backgrounds, however, each story was relatively similar. They learned to play piano as children, then life interfered. One contestant was high up within Lockheed Martin, another focused on tennis, while one man’s life was almost cut short after contracting AIDS, among many other notable stories. None of them could ignore their true passion in life. Each story is emotionally involved because the sacrifices made to reach such a talented level of piano playing is intense.

One competitor said it perfectly by quoting Igor Stravinsky, “If you can make a million dollars doing anything other than music, do it.” The devotion required to reach the talent required for this amateur competition matches that of a professional, yet these amateur pianists probably won't make enough money to pay for the gas or plane ticket home. Their dreams of becoming famous, wealthy musicians are unrealistic, but not because they didn’t deserve it talent wise. They don't do it for the money. They make the sacrifices for the love of playing piano, for their own pure joy. In my mind, that's more impressive than being a professional musician.

It's similar to the Olympic athletes currently competing in the Winter Olympic Games. Few will make enough money through competition, yet they have to treat the preparation for their events like full time jobs. You have to respect these people perhaps even greater than the professional pianist or athlete because it takes such a serious dedication to spend so much time on something without a monetary incentive. These talented musicians never gave up, and these aren’t the Saturday afternoon piano players you hear walking through a Nordstrom. These amateurs have reached a level beyond that, deserving the recognition they will never receive. The speed of their fingers on the keys and the complexity of the songs left the competitors out of breath, hardly able to bow after their individual pieces- Bach, Mozart, Stravinsky; all the greats and their most difficult works were performed.

The competitors as characters drove the film, compelling the audience to choose a contestant to root for until the end. My choice was Esfir Ross, like so many other members of the crowd. Her carefree attitude, eastern European accent, unique mannerisms, and intensity made everyone a fan. A significant portion of the film involved her, for good reason.

The incredible thing was that the “theatrical wall” between the audience and screen was lifted. By that, I mean the film played like a live show. Each performance impelled the audience to clap as if the individual pianist played their peice passionately in-person. You see that in live concerts, especially in theatre, but not in film. In this case, the connection with each character was incredibly real, even though these musicians were miles away and the competition had long ended. As the screen faded black the entire audience stood up for a standing ovation, hoping for an encore. And we got one.

Two of the competitors, Esfir Ross, and Ken Iisaka gave a surprise mini concert, then stood by to watch the special Q&A with director Alex Rotaru. It was a perfect cap to a film that became an event.

Photo (above): Esfir Ross (left) and Ken Lisaka (right).

Both made it to later rounds but missed

the finals

About Director Alex Rotaru:

Here is an excerpt on the They Came To Play director Alex Rotaru from the www.SJFS.org website. He decided to forego the Guggenheim at Princeton to attend USC film school. Don't scoff at Rotaru for following his passion in film; it's paid off.

Alex was born in Bucharest, Romania, to playwright Eugen Rotaru and actress Maria Rotaru. After an early career as an award-winning child actor, he fell in love with science, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with highest honors in his class. Inspired by his stint studying film at the Sorbonne, he switched gears again, interrupting his PhD and returning to his first love - cinema. He attended University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television and earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Film/TV Production. Since graduation, he has worked in script development, and most recently in TV documentaries. Recipient of a 2006 Christopher Award. Alex lives in Los Angeles, California.

Photo (above): Sophoan Sorn with Alex Rotaru

Thanks to Alex Rotaru, Esfir Ross, and Ken Iisaka for joining us in Stockton for a great evening!