“I rate this film a 5 out of 5, it was very powerful… It made me want to meet David Arben.”
Presented by Music in May, this 45-minute docufilm directed by Andrew Thompson is based on the live program developed by authors Rebecca Jackson-Picht and Dr. John Jackson. It takes viewers on a journey through the chapters of David Arben’s life. The film features music by Polina Nazaykinskaya, Jose Gonzalez Granero, Maurice Ravel, J.S. Bach, Jules Massenet, Joseph Achron, Claude Debussy and Johan Svendsen, as well as a 1992 live performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 featuring David Arben, Riccardo Muti and The Philadelphia Orchestra.
This film was produced with the goal of educating the next generation. Screenings are accompanied by a student study guide and followed by Q&A with the authors. If you would be interested in having the Arben film shown to a group, please fill out the form on our contact page.
“[The most important lesson I learned from Arben’s story was] that hate cannot truly kill people. The cruelty he faced couldn’t kill his love for music and life.”
“It was really interesting to learn about his life post-war. We often hear stories of during the war, but almost never the success of people post-war.”