BLOG

Just days before our first film festival screening, a very nice review appeared in The Falmouth Times. Our thanks to Marilyn Rowland who gave wonderful praise to Striking a Chord, singling the film out among over a 100 other films screening at Woods Hole. Her article was about films that focused on music in one way or another, particularly on the healing power of music.

We’re so pleased with what she wrote, we’re quoting it in full here:

“‘Striking a Chord (2010), directed by Susan Cohn Rockefeller, is one of my favorites in this genre or any other. It speaks eloquently about the positive effect of music, here represented by country-pop-jazz-blues singer Nell Bryden and her band, on soldiers stationed in Kuwait and Iraq. This relatively short documentary (40 minutes), provides an intimate look at the lives of soldiers and their vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder as a result not only of the stresses of combat, but their isolation from those they love, their loneliness and boredom, and the effects of repeated deployments and difficult living conditions.

Performers like Ms. Bryden provide a brief respite from the demands of military duty (“for that hour and a half, they are not there”), as well as a lasting experience to remember and share. Ms. Bryden seems particularly well-suited for her role. She has a wonderfully uplifting musical style and a sincere interest in reaching out to the soldiers and involving them in the music. The film is beautifully made, easily weaving war, PTSD, and music into a compelling statement on the power of music and the need for caring support.”

Well, thank you, Ms. Rowland!