The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

2016 • 95 minutes

About this movie

Over the past 16 years, an extraordinary group of musicians has come together to celebrate the universal power of music. Named for the ancient trade route linking Asia, Africa and Europe, The Silk Road Ensemble, an international collective created by acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, exemplifies music’s ability to blur geographical boundaries, blend disparate cultures and inspire hope for both artists and audiences. "The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble", the latest film from the creators of the Oscar-winning documentary "20 Feet from Stardom" and the critically-hailed "Best of Enemies", follows an ever-changing lineup of performers drawn from the ensemble’s more than 50 instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, arrangers, visual artists and storytellers as they gather in locations across the world, exploring the ways art can both preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution. Blending performance footage, personal interviews and archival film, director Morgan Neville and producer Caitrin Rogers focus on the journeys of a small group of Silk Road Ensemble mainstays from across the globe to create an intensely personal chronicle of passion, talent and sacrifice.

Ratings and reviews

Powerfully inspiring....A celebration of collaboration and improvisation. I intend to buy this movie, not just rent it. I want to show it often in the music school where I teach in Toronto.