Waiting for the maestro
The “Note grabbers” (Acchiappanote) , the students who play in the school band of the IC
Monte San Savino, are thrilled and excited: a wellknown “real” orchestra conductor will be
the guest conductor of their next concert., they will have to reharse with all their commitment,
with the support of their teacher.
We are in the beautiful Tuscan country between Arezzo and Siena, in the historical town of
Monte Savino (9,000 inhabitants). Here the secondary school’s best flagship is the project
Musical-mente (Musically-minded) , which empowers and expands the ordinary music
curriculum, since the age of 9 in a socialing perspective, and then offers the students aged
11-12 , the opportunity to join the school music band and perform together.
The Italo-Algerian film director Rachid Benhadj asks the students and their teachers to act
themselves and their own adventures in order to develops this true and simple story in its
docu-film. The plot revolves around the experience of five very different students who are
portrayed in their daily life, while literally and metaphorically “waiting for the maestro”.
Benefiting from the multicultural personal history of the director, the docu-film thus sheds
glances full of sensitivity on the adolescens and the world around them: their families with
their many different atmospheres, their school with its imperishable treadmills that still hold
some power to inspire, in that handled with quiet sensitive warmth by their actors, the
teachers, the caretaker, the headteacher.
Above all Benhadj’s eye rests on the music performance as a crucial tool of the personal and
social development: the music that the youngsters can actually play with today’s skills and
the music they dream they will be able to play when they will improve. He shows how the
performing of the music may accompany the youngsters’ dreams to capture new meanings of
life, disclosing precious opportunities to take deeper hold of important human values.
Siamo nella bella campagna Toscana, nella storica cittadina di Monte San Savino …
Gli studenti che suonano nella band dell’istituto comprensivo sono in una trepida attesa: verrà
un famoso direttore d’orchestra a dirigere il loro prossimo concerto, bisognerà impegnarsi
molto nelle prove insieme al prof di musica….
Il regista italo-algerino Rachid Benhadj chiede ad alunni, insegnanti e genitori di recitare sé
stessi e le proprie avventure, per raccontare in un docu-film questa semplice storia vera
attraverso l’esperienza di cinque ragazzi molto diversi che letteralmente e metaforicamente
“aspettano il maestro” … e intanto suonano e sognano di suonare sempre meglio e i loro
strumenti musicali diventano strumenti di pensiero e di vita.