Documentary

Menuhin Competition Geneva 2018 Documentary

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The Menuhin Competition is the world’s leading international competition for young violinists, held every two years in a different world city, most recently in Geneva from 12-22 April 2018. Prior to the Menuhin Competition Geneva 2018, the Competition was held in London in 2016 to celebrate the Menuhin centenary, Austin, Texas in 2014, Beijing in 2012 and Oslo in 2010. It attracts hundreds of entries from all corners of the globe, choosing only 44 of the world’s very best young violinists to participate. The Competition discovers, encourages and nurtures these exceptionally talented young musicians to develop into the next generation of great artists.

My wish is, some time in the future we will have the young violinists from our school participate in this competition.

Rumi in the Land of Khusrau

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Rumi, the mystic poet, was born in 1207 in Balkh, Afghanistan, which was then a part of the Persian Empire. Amir Khusrau was born in 1253 in Patiali, grew up on the banks of the river Ganges and composed poems of a mystic nature. ‘Rumi in the land of Khusaru’ is based on Tajjali, a Sufi concert where Persian and Indian dancers, musicians and singers perform in tandem with each other. The Indian musicians from regions of Kashmir, Awadh and Delhi render poems and compositions of Khusrau, and the Iranians sing the poems of Rumi. The film inter-cuts the concert with details from the life of Khusrau, and similarities between his poetry and Rumi’s. The film also extensively uses the poetry of both the mystics.

Dastangoi – the medieval art of storytelling

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The word Dastangoi refers to the art of storytelling. It is a compound of two Persian words ‘Dastan’ and ‘Goi’ which means to tell a ‘Dastan’. Dastans were epics, often oral in nature, which were recited or read aloud and in essence were like medieval romances. Telling tales of adventure, magic and warfare, Dastans mapped many new worlds and horizons.

 

What the Ancients in India Knew

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India is one of the oldest and richest civilizations in the world. It is home to the world’s first planned cities, where every house had its own bathroom and toilet five thousand years ago. The Ancient Indians have not only given us yoga, meditation and complementary medicines, but they have furthered our knowledge of science, maths — and invented Chaturanga, which became the game of chess. According to Albert Einstein, they “taught us how to count”, as they invented the numbers 1-9 and ‘zero’, without which there would be no computers or digital age. Unfairly we call this system of counting Arabic numbers — a misplaced credit. Two thousand years ago the Indians pioneered plastic surgery, reconstructing the noses and ears on the faces of people who had been disfigured through punishment or warfare. They performed eye operations such as cataract removal and invented inoculation to protect their population from Smallpox, saving thousands of lives.

Hosted by Jack Turner. Published by Discovery Channel, 2007.