Chopin Saved My Life - a documentary where Mao is mentioned

"Chopin Saved My Life" is a documentary filmed by Oxford Film and Television in 2012. It was aired in UK this summer via Channel 4, and twice in Japan (in September and December).

The documentary consisted of two parts. The second part was about Momoka, a 15-year-old pianist from Sendai who suffered from depression after the 2011 tsunami disaster in Japan. Momoka witnessed Mao's performance of Ballade no.1 during the charity shows for the people affected by the tsunami.

You can find more about the documentary and the translation of the part about Mao here:
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?89260-MAO-CHEER-THREAD-starting-on-her-23rd-BD-lt-3&p=4080180&viewfull=1#post4080180

Thanks to rosewood from FSU for translating the video & posting the links!   

I especially loved they way Momoka spoke about Mao's performance - she spoke as if Mao was a pianist, not a skater:

Quote :

(In Momoka's room there are ofuda(paper charms) given by shrines, which is for good luck in entrance examinations .)
Momoka: I saw her a month later. After the earthquake disaster. I saw Mao playing it.
***this young pianist intentionally uses the word 'play' instead of 'skate' like "I saw her playing Chopin's Ballad number 1," instead of "I saw her skating to Chopin's Ballad number 1. She prefers 'play' in the case of relationship between the music and Mao. She also uses 'hear' instead of 'see' due to the same reason."***

(Mao skating to Chopin's Ballad number 1 which is her exhibition number in 2010-2011 season. She skated to this number a month after the disaster in a charity show to support the people affected by the disaster. )
Momoka: I saw her wonderfully playing Ballad number 1. I was moved and encouraged by her. The inspirations which I might never feel before the disaster. If Ballad number 1 had had lyrics, it would be "Roars of souls." When I heard her(playing it), the image came to me that souls were flying around, people who died in the disaster were calling for help. Inside of my mind I felt the messages from the people.

...and commentary by rosewood:

Quote :

This number is not a long one. However, it contains many aspects. Mao became the music and the story was left to Momoka. She felt the despair and the longing for help. She felt Chopin struggled but never gave up finishing the composition. She felt Mao struggled but never gave up her progress. From those inspirations Momoka was encouraged and given a hope to live.

 

Wow! Thank you so much for posting this.