Great pianist documentary on BC iplayer

[AeolianHarp]

I have just finished watching this- I found the last few minutes very moving as Marika finally finds her place in playing classical piano.

Over eight extraordinary years, this award-winning documentary follows the daily life of a twelve-year-old child prodigy as she and her father work towards her goal of becoming an internationally-renowned classical pianist.

Under the watchful eye of her father Pierre, a Juilliard-trained violinist devoted to her flourishing career, Canadian pianist Marika Bournaki grows up and matures before our eyes as she searches for her own identity. Labelled a child prodigy, she is catapulted into a world of concerts, competitions and media attention at a very young age. From backstage tears, adolescent rebellion and burnout to her parents' unexpected divorce and finding her first love, the film reveals a rare and candid look inside the world of classical music - a world that demands an elusive alchemy of sacrifice, talent and serendipity.

Shot in concert halls, hotels and airports around the world - and featuring stunning piano performances - the film amounts to a front row seat in the unfolding of a life and the forming of a personality. As Marika seeks her place and identity in the world, we witness her evolution from child to adult and experience the numerous conflicts she overcomes to finally make it on her own. It's a story that says as much about families, growing up and the complex relationships between parents and their children as it does about the world of classical music.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...ot-a-rock-star

[Peter]

Yes but what a price with the family break up - the pressure from the father on that girl must have been immense and I hope she survives it in the long run.

[AeolianHarp]

Yes, I could see that. I still wish I'd have had her opportunities though.....instead of being deprived of music lessons. I was so bored and fustrated as a child. It can work the other way too.

[Peter]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, however the pressures these days on a young person to make it in the classical world are immense and to have a father pushing his own failed ambitions on you and controlling your every move (as was clearly the case) is not healthy. I remember the brilliant young pianist Terrence Judd who took his own life, overwhelmed by it all. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Judd

[AeolianHarp]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, however the pressures these days on a young person to make it in the classical world are immense and to have a father pushing his own failed ambitions on you and controlling your every move (as was clearly the case) is not healthy. I remember the brilliant young pianist Terrence Judd who took his own life, overwhelmed by it all. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Judd

I understand that can be hard, but I still would have liked the chance, rather than the council house deprived upbringing I had. I have always felt I deserved more than that.