Half Moon
Is music an answer to war violence? In this documentary, Frank Scheffer follows Syrian clarinettist Kinan Azmeh, who weaves the rich and diverse musical history of his homeland into his own music.
Virtuoso clarinettist and composer Kinan Azmeh was born in Damascus but went into exile in New York after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. He has been cut off from his homeland by the war, but now experiences an even greater urgency to incorporate his homeland’s traditional music into his own work. He draws inspiration from artists such as Kurdish singer Aynur Doğan and musician Ibrahim Keivo.
The melancholic documentary Half Moon explores the role classical music can play in shaping a community. Among other things, we see how Azmeh prepares for Salām Syria, a music festival at Hamburg’s iconic Elbphilharmonie theatre. In his composition Home Within, he explores what ‘home’ means to him: New York, where he lives; Damascus, where his family lives; or the global stages where he performs. Energetic performances are alternated with more intimate scenes in which Azmeh works at home, spends time with his family and introduces his young son to Syria’s artistic and cultural heritage. Meanwhile, Azmeh remains hopeful that one day he will be able to return to Damascus – a wish that has gained new resonance in light of recent events in Syria.