두 평론가가 다큐멘터리를 이야기하다

Leo: Welcome back to Frame by Frame. This week, Aiko and I have both seen Sixty Strings, the new documentary about a youth orchestra in a small mountain town. Aiko, first impressions?

Aiko: Mixed, to be honest. The subject is wonderful, and some scenes are genuinely moving. But at two hours and twenty minutes, let's just say I checked my watch more than once.

Leo: Really? I was completely absorbed. What I loved was how patient the director is. She spent almost three years with these young musicians, and you can feel it, because after the first few minutes nobody seems to be performing for the camera.

Aiko: I agree the access is remarkable. My problem is the middle section. There's a long stretch about the town raising money to buy a bus, and while it matters to the story, it could easily have been half as long.

Leo: Fair point, although I'd say that section shows how the whole town gets involved. The scene where the baker sells cakes outside the school to pay for the tyres is one of my favourites.

Aiko: That's true, and it's a lovely moment. My other reservation is the way the conductor, Petra Albescu, is presented. She comes across as almost perfect, and I'd have liked to hear more from the teenagers themselves.

Leo: Interesting. I didn't see it that way at all, but I can understand why you might.

Aiko: Where we definitely agree is the final concert. The sound recording is superb, and the whole cinema went completely silent when the youngest cellist played her solo.

Leo: I'll confess I had tears in my eyes. So, scores out of ten?

Aiko: I'll give it a six. Beautifully made, but it needed a stricter editor.

Leo: And a nine from me. It's in cinemas from Friday, so, listeners, go and decide for yourselves.