A SHANGHAI SYMPHONY

Shanghai .jpeg

1 X 50’ HD
DIRECTED BY SUN SHUYUN
AN EOS FILM PRODUCTION

This is the story of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, China’s premier classical ensemble and its extraordinary 140-year journey. Filmed over five years, this landmark documentary takes the form of a symphony, telling the story of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the city that brought classical music to China. It is a story of great highs and terrible lows, a mirror of China’s turbulent modern history and its encounter with the West. 

Weaving through the film are the iconic pieces of music that breathe through the Orchestra’s history in four ‘movements’: first, when classical music was the preserve of foreigners; then the determination to learn and play the ‘privileged’ music; the heart-felt bravery and talent of the artists in the darkest moments; and finally the crescendo of success in a new era when 200 million young Chinese are learning and playing classical music. 

It is a true celebration of music’s universal language. 

Documentary and filmMatt Dent