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‘De Klank van Thuis’ presents challenges faced by refugee musicians Fadi and Qusai

What do you do if you're a successful musician but are forced to flee your country? The documentary 'De Klank van Thuis' (The Sound of Home) follows Fadi (25) and Qusai (22) to find an answer to this question.

Fadi and Qusai first met at the Damascus Opera House in Syria. Now, years later, their paths cross again, but this time in the Netherlands. Here, both are trying to rebuild their lives and restore their musical careers to what they once were in their homeland – a journey that, as refugees with residency status, comes with its own set of challenges.

In the documentary, we see how violinist Fadi, one of the two musicians, visits the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. Jeroen Smits, Head of the Classical Music Department, speaks with him about the challenges Fadi faces in achieving his dream: performing with an orchestra again.

The visit to Muziekgebouw Eindhoven also brought Fadi a step closer to reconnecting with a familiar face. Duncan Ward, chief conductor of the resident orchestra philzuid, previously conducted the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra, of which Fadi was a member. He takes to heart the advice to reach out to Ward and to network with professionals in the field. However, he isn’t quite ready yet; a major hurdle remains the lack of a suitable rehearsal space.

Students

This documentary was created by Nova Wolters (20) from Eindhoven and Bibi van Haaren (22) from Maarheeze. During their studies, they learned about documentary filmmaking and decided to put theory into practice. Bibi was inspired by the asylum seekers’ centre in Maarheeze. Initially, the filmmakers intended to portray how the arrival of an asylum centre impacted the village, but through volunteers, they came into contact with Fadi and Qusai. Ultimately, Van Haaren and Wolters chose to document their journey, from the asylum centre to a joint performance. The instruments for this were donated through various contacts. ‘The support and warm welcome in the Netherlands have given these young men opportunities to continue their musical journey,’ says Nova.

The documentary De Klank van Thuis was broadcast on NPO 2 but is available to watch for free via NPO Start (no subscription needed).