Parallels and Paradoxes
I enjoyed reading this article on Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim after watching the movie. I thought the movie we watched on Thursday was great; I found the project to be very inspiring. I enjoyed reading this article after watching the movie because the movie gave me the physical characteristics of the two men, as well as the personalities of both. The article gave insight on their opinions on deeper topics, therefore I understood their point of view better because I had already watched the movie.
One idea that Said and Barenboim discussed was the concept of 'home.' When asked 'where do you feel at home,' Barenboim gave the cliche answer of, "I am at home wherever I make music." Though and overused answer by many musicians, Barenboim gave reasonings so that you cannot help but believe him. Because he is Jewish, it is typical to wonder if he thinks Jerusalem is home also. Surprisingly, Barenboim explained that he feels home in the 'idea of Jerusalem.' I thought this was a very interesting but true answer. Said also answered this question of home and homelands as stating, "the idea of home is overrated. There's a lot of sentimentality about "homelands" that I don't really care for."His answer could be due to traveling often throughout his life, but Said has not emotion connection to a specific place as a home. I find this so interesting because today people are killing themselves over rights to 'homeland'. It makes me wonder how many of these people have a connection or really relate more to Said.
A second point I find worth commenting on is the purpose of their musical project and what Said and Barenboim hoped to achieve. Said explains that "the idea was to see what would happen if you brought these people together to play in an orchestra in Weimar, in the spirit of Goethe, who wrote a fantastic collection of poems based on his enthusiasm for Islam." This project was an alternate attempt at peace, which I have the greatest support for.
After watching the movie, we had a discussion about the methods of this project and its credibility. The guest (whose name I cannot remember) explained that she did not agree with this project because it was not realistic. I honestly found her explanation absurd and contradictory. I understand that she has first hand experience, which of course makes this situation much more complicated, but I did not understand how she was so unsupportive. This reminds me of Said's answer that this project was an alternate method towards peace. I have a strong belief that the Arab-Israeli conflict will not be solved through the typical political process. Maybe it will, but the politics cannot solve the ignorance and hatred of both Palestinians and Israelis. That is why programs such as this are so important for society. This is an opportunity for young adults to overcome bias and ignorance!
I am so excited to video conference with Mariam Said; this is a great opportunity for us to be able to speak with someone close to the project. I want to thank Mrs. Said and all the other participants for speaking with our class, it has really made all the difference in the Living Jerusalem Project. I am looking forward to asking her plenty of questions so our class can have a great discussion.
I also found it really interesting how the two men defined where their homes are. To both, the physical location was not important, it is the music that brings them home. I find it amazing how powerful music can be in people's lives.
ReplyDeleteI too was very moved by the Saids. Speaking with Mariam was very encouraging and made me feel as though a peaceful solution is possible if the two sides learn to accept equality.
ReplyDeleteThe home discussion WAS interesting - especially in the context of the Armstron book we started the class off with. It would be interesting to see what Said and Barenboim say about her view of Jerusalem as the ultimate homeland.
ReplyDelete