GFF 2010: With One Voice

 

When erstwhile French rocker Jean-Yves Labat de Rossi decided to bring together musicians from Israel and Palestine, both Jews and Muslims, to form the choir With One Voice (from which the film takes its title), things were never going to be simple. Unable to cross the border between their countries, the group assembled for a tour of France, captured here by documentary filmmaker Xavier de Lauzanne. Both sides desperately want to avoid discussing politics during the tour, though tensions inevitably arise, but more than anything, this is a film about sound. The intricate rhythms of Arab and Jewish music, both modern and traditional, are captured beautifully, while the sound of bombs dropping on Gaza at twilight provides a stark example of everyday reality for these performers. Lauzanne’s film is deeply engaging, often very funny, and never slides into polemics. Stunning music and poignant reminders of the human cost of the conflict make With One Voice a moving, timely and extremely important film.