GAZA / BARENBOIM 1

During his first trip to Gaza, world-renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim said that Israelis and Palestinians "can live together or we can live side by side but we mustn't live back to back." Barenboim and musicians from leading orchestras formed 'Orchestra for Gaza' and held an hour-long concert for Gazans today. UNRWA

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:35
• Production Date: 3 May 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST - UNRWA
• Subject Topical: REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS; FINE ARTS; LITERATURE; MUSIC
• Geographic Subject: MIDDLE EAST
• MAMS Id: U110503b

Description

STORY: GAZA / BARENBOIM 1
TRT: 2:35
SOURCE: UNRWA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGAUGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 3 MAY 2011, GAZA, OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

Shotlist

1. Various shots, Daniel Barenboim arriving to meet head of UNRWA Filippo Grandi
2. Various shots, boys from Al-Qattan Foundation performing for Barenboim
3. Various shots, Barenboim meeting the boys
4. Med shot, audience clapping
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniel Barenboim,
“Well, I’ve been wanting to come to Gaza for a long time. I think that the politics are the politics but the human existence is the human existence. And I think that the blockade is humanly unacceptable and therefore I wanted to come here. And what I do is make music so I come here to play music but I was very happy to hear these wonderful children also play.”
6. Cutaway, audience
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniel Barenboim
“I bring the human message that we have to find ways to live with each other all of us, man and wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, nations, friends and enemies. And we have seen now through the new awakening in the Arab world that started in Tunisia and Egypt and on the other hand, the terrible atomic catastrophe in Japan that we have to think anew about how we live; about what we think, about what we do, all of us.”
8. Cutaway, audience
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniel Barenboim
“I hope all this new wave of thinking will bring all of them, everybody, all of us, Italians, Americans, Israelis, Egyptians, Palestinians, everybody to think everything anew and that the old beliefs and the old ways of thinking have to be re-examined. And therefore, maybe by doing this, all of the people of this area, Palestinians, Israelis, Egyptians will realize that we are here to live somehow next to each other in this part of the world and we can live together or we can live side by side but we mustn’t live back to back.”
10. Wide shot, Barenboim leaving with head of UNRWA Filippo Grandi

Storyline

World-renowned conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim arrived for the first time to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday (3 May).

Barenboim and his orchestra arrived through the Rafah Crossing along the Egyptian-Gaza border. At the border, they were greeted by Commissioner-General of United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) Filippo Grandi.

Young Palestinian musicians from the Al-Qattan Foundation performed traditional music for the 68-year old maestro and his orchestra.

Barenboim said that he had wanted “to come to Gaza for a long time” and called the blockade “humanly unacceptable.”

On Israeli-Palestinian relations, he said “we have to think anew about how we live; about what we think, about what we do, all of us” adding that “we can live together or we can live side by side but we mustn’t live back to back.”

Later today, the acclaimed conductor and pianist together with musicians from leading orchestras such as Staatskapelle Berlin, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris and La Scala of Milan formed Orchestra for Gaza performed for the people of Gaza.

Calling themselves ‘Orchestra for Gaza’ they performed a one hour concert at the al-Madha Cultural Center north of Gaza City. Barenboim and the musicians performed Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" and the Symphony No. 40. The concert was organized by UNRWA.