Rhythm Is It! (2004)

Berlin, January 2003. In a former bus depot something amazing is happening. 250 schoolchildren of varying ages, ethnicities and backgrounds and virtually no experience with classical music or modern dance are performing to Stravinsky’s “Sacre du Printemps”, which they have rehearsed for nearly three months, trained by the British choreographer Royston Maldoom and accompanied by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under its chief conductor, Sir Simon Rattle. Through the eyes of three students we take part in the project’s development, its ups and downs, doubts and enthusiasms, uncertainties and renewals of self-confidence. It is a fascinating journey into new, undreamed-of worlds and reveals surprising facets of their personalities. Recorded with a breathtaking fidelity of sound, the film documents the stages of the “Sacre” project and offers deep insights into the rehearsals of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.