Wings Of The Dawn (2013)

The 'Concert of Empowerment' was a completely novel project. Saxophonist Volker Schlott, part of the bedrock of the Berlin jazz scene, together with Jocelyn B. Smith presented to the city of Berlin a unique oratory that combines 'remembered present' and 'present memories'. The film focuses on the 'time witnesses' who are united by countless conscious and subconscious memories of their past. They all want to sing together whilst many have never sung again since their youth. The film weaves a rich tapestry of concerts, rehearsals and workshops with the performers. Its impact is less through the spoken word but rather from the associative montage and linking of places steeped in history with the deeply touching music by Volker Schlott. Traditional interview techniques were deliberately avoided.