What: That Higher Level
Where: The Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas St.
When: Saturday Feb. 9, 6:15 p.m.
Tickets: $12.38 at or in person at the Victoria Film Festival office (1215 Blanshard St.)
As the National Youth Orchestra of sa国际传媒 played its final notes at the end of a one-month tour of the country, the makers of a documentary about the teens and twentysomethings had a decision to make: Focus on the tears being shed by the 100 students as their 12-city cross-sa国际传媒 tour came to a close, or end with the last note.
Writer-director John Bolton, who had followed the orchestra from its month-long training program in Waterloo, Ont., through to the tour鈥檚 end, chose to go with the latter.
Some of the musicians flew home immediately following their final performance at Vancouver鈥檚 Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, which meant the incredibly tight-knit group was forced to part ways abruptly.
Bolton chose to end the film in the same manner, with the students playing the final movements of composer Richard Strauss鈥檚 Death and Transfiguration 鈥� a fitting piece of music, given the circumstances 鈥� before fading to black.
鈥淎fter the last concert, we shot a lot of footage,鈥� Bolton said. 鈥淎 lot of crying, a lot of laughing, a lot of emotions. But we decided not to use it, and to end on a high note. We didn鈥檛 want to focus on the breakup; we wanted to focus on the last notes they played together.鈥�
Natasha Galitzine, a 24-year-old violist from Victoria who was a member of the NYO during the film, says the end was emotional.
鈥淔or me, it was the most emotionally impactful thing I have ever been a part of. I remember pretty clearly the last few minutes [of the film]. I was looking around at everyone, thinking about the memories and our time spent together.鈥�
Bolton was also caught up in the swirl of emotions. He had spent eight weeks with the students and faculty during the making of That Higher Level 鈥� which has its world premi猫re Saturday at the Vic Theatre as part of the Victoria Film Festival 鈥� and got to know several of them well.
The film features interviews with 14 students, including Galitzine.
That Higher Level chronicles the two-month process as students 鈥� some as young as 16 鈥攕pend their summer studying with the NYO.
The entire process was captured on film for the first time by the Victoria-born, Vancouver-bred Bolton and his crew, who were hired by the National Film Board to profile students as they studied classical music on a grand stage.
At times, Bolton said he felt like a nature photographer on assignment. 鈥淲e were really just trying to capture the students in their element.鈥�
But with 100 students and no shortage of storylines, the director had to keep an keen eye on his narrative.
鈥淭hat was the biggest challenge,鈥� Bolton said. 鈥淗ow do you make a film about 100 people learning and playing in a dozen cities? What do you focus on?鈥�
The easy part for filmmakers was capturing the musicians and their instructors as they rehearsed for the cross-sa国际传媒 tour.
Once the tour began, however, schedules were limited, especially when the NYO flew to Whitehorse, Yukon, for a performance.
鈥淭he travelling aspect was very tiring,鈥� said Galitzine, who had added responsibility as the orchestra鈥檚 principal violist.
鈥淚t was the most in-depth thing I have ever been a part of.鈥�
Galitzine has lived in the U.S. since graduating from Oak Bay high school in 2012, and will graduate in May from Houston鈥檚 Rice University with her master鈥檚 degree in music performance.
While she doesn鈥檛 expect to have many experiences that will match the intensity of That Higher Level, having her every move captured by cameras wasn鈥檛 as strange as it sounds.
鈥淲e got used to having them there,鈥� she said with a laugh. 鈥淚t was almost weird when they weren鈥檛.鈥�
Bolton, who played viola through university, knows the commitment that is required for musicians to reach the top of their field in sa国际传媒, so he instructed his team to stay back when necessary.
The opportunity to play with the NYO will have a lasting impact on the careers of many who appeared on camera, and he didn鈥檛 want the filmmaking process to get in the way of their learning.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to think the cameras were the least of their concerns. We didn鈥檛 want to put more pressure on them or interfere.
鈥淏ut you don鈥檛 get to NYO sa国际传媒 if you鈥檙e not already at a certain level of experience or maturity. They are used to having eyes on them.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no way we were putting more pressure on them than the faculty and those conducting were. These were some of the least self-conscious subjects I鈥檝e ever filmed.鈥�
