On Thursday, Nov. 30 at 6:00 p.m. Upper School students had the opportunity to attend the screening of the “Beethoven in Beijing” documentary held in Roberts Theater.
All students taking Modern World Studies, U.S. History, AP U.S. History, AP Political Science, AP Comparative Government, Band, and Orchestra attended the screening, as well as anyone in the community who wanted to watch. The documentary’s filmmaker Jennifer Lin and Director of Education Amy Cohen were in attendance, and KO students had the opportunity to ask them questions following the film.
The documentary is about former President Richard Nixon’s trip to China in 1972 and attempts to build bridges between the United States and China. It talked about cultural diplomacy and highlighted the relationship that developed between the Philadelphia and Chinese orchestra, and how that led to the opening of culture and music being exchanged between the U.S. and China.
History Department Chair David Baker played a vital role in making this experience possible, and he shared why this opportunity is so meaningful. “It’s so much more important for us to realize we have a lot of things in common,” he said. “That can lead us to have more peaceful conversations and to have a better overall international world order when we can come together and celebrate things like music and culture and learning from one another.”
There have been other screenings of the film with Ms. Lin in attendance at universities, but KO was the first high school to host a screening. KO started planning the event last spring when a KO alum shared about the opportunity after attending another screening. The planning involved an interdisciplinary approach between the history and creative arts departments which was made possible by Mr. Baker, Director of Theater Kyle Reynolds, Band and Orchestra Director Todd Millen, and history teacher Ted Levine.
Mr. Baker shared what he hoped the students would take away from the screening. “It’s an interdisciplinary experience where you’re realizing that all different subjects and ways of learning in life can intersect and come together and help us better understand the world,” he said.
There was a moderated Q&A led by four KO students before it being opened up to the audience. Senior Pauline Golder, junior Ella Chen, sophomore Leo Liu, and sophomore Samit Vermani led the moderated Q&A and also helped to introduce the film, Ms. Lin, and Ms. Cohen.
In just a few hours, KO students learned a little more about the world around them and gained an appreciation for the power of music and cultural diplomacy.
