Playing for Change: Peace Through Music Directed
by
Jonathan Walls and Mark Johnson
USA / 2008 / 73minutes Spanish,English,Tibetan
Screening
Times and Venues:
Rosendale Theater
10/03/2008, 2PM
$8
Woodstock Community Center
10/04/2008, 4:30PM
$8
SYNOPSIS:
Perhaps the ultimate musical collaboration begins with Roger Ridley, a Santa Monica, California street musician whose passionate rendition of "Stand by Me" could well stand alone. Directors Mark Johnson and Jonathan Walls set out to prove that some of the best music in the world is played by unknown artists, driven to perform on the streets because life without music would be meaningless. Traveling the country and the globe recording tracks for playback, this homage to the universality of music is ample proof that, while politics divide, music unites. Connected by far more than headphones, these artists are, in reality, connected by the power of music as an instrument for peace. Uplifting and joyous, "Playing for Change" is at its best when intercutting songs, and merely astonishing at other times. While these musicians will likely never meet, deft editing utilizing split-screen brings them together. A musical feast! (Barbara Pokras, A.C.E.)
BIO:
Jonathan Walls attended the New York Film Academy in New York City. He directed a reality-based series, "It's My Life," for MTV Asia. In 2005, Walls' first feature, "Automatic," screened at the Woodstock Film Festival and won the top award at the PeŸŸscola International Film Festival in Spain.
Mark Johnson is a Grammy-award winning producer, an engineer and an award-winning film director. He is the chairman of the board for the Playing For Change Foundation and has dedicated his life to connecting the world through music. Jonathan and Mark both attend the Woodstock Film Festival in 2003 with the U.S. version of "Playing For Change."
MAIN CREDITS:
Executive Producer(s): Whitney Burditt, David Ernst Bacon
Producer(s): oe Carnahan, Mark Johnson, Kevin Krupitzer, Joel Goulder, Jeremy Goulder, Raan Williams
Director(s): Jonathan Walls and Mark Johnson
Cinematographer(s): Kevin Krupitzer, Jonathan Walls
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and art-related activities that promote artists, culture,
inspired learning, and diversity. The Hudson Valley Film
Commission promotes sustainable economic development
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