{"id":103730,"date":"2024-04-26T15:31:19","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T19:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=103730"},"modified":"2024-04-29T08:00:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T12:00:02","slug":"interview-composer-ari-kinarthy-director-jeff-lee-petry-talk-aris-theme-premiering-hot-docs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/04\/26\/interview-composer-ari-kinarthy-director-jeff-lee-petry-talk-aris-theme-premiering-hot-docs\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Composer Ari Kinarthy And Director Jeff Lee Petry Talk About Ari\u2019s Theme, Premiering At Hot Docs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Composer<\/p>\n

Ari Kinarthy is a composer based in Victoria, B.C. He\u2019s also someone who lives with Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 2, a progressive condition.<\/p>\n

As he reached the age of 34, long past his doctor\u2019s predictions, and his condition continued to change, he began to think about what mark he would leave on the world. It combined with his passion for music, and a serendipitous connection with filmmakers Jeff Lee Petry and Nathan Drillot, to result in the documentary film Ari\u2019s Theme.<\/p>\n

Ari\u2019s Theme will see its world premiere at Toronto\u2019s Hot Docs film festival on April 30, with a repeat screening on May 2.<\/p>\n

\"Ari\u2019s
Ari\u2019s nightmare before the live recording session (Production still\/Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ari\u2019s Theme: How It Started<\/h2>\n

Ari utilizes a wheelchair, and the condition has left him unable to use his hands to play traditional instruments. His talent, however, was clear.<\/p>\n

He came to discover his love of music as a teen. \u201cI got introduced to writing music when I was a teenager,\u201d Ari explains. It was initially a hobby he used to relax.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years, it got more serious, and I entered a competition, and I won it.\u201d He\u2019d made a pledge with himself that if he won, he\u2019d take his music in a more purposeful direction. It led to studies at Berklee College.<\/p>\n

Accommodations for musical performers are virtually non-existent. \u201cI really wish I could play the piano somehow,\u201d he acknowledges. For a while, he used technology that made music from the way he moved his wheelchair, but the results were too limited for his taste. When it comes to composition, however, it requires nothing more than the usual interfaces for accessing a computer.<\/p>\n

As luck would have it, The Victoria Conservatory of Music\u2019s music therapy program<\/a> is renowned for its scope and successes. Its philosophy, as expounded on their website, fits perfectly with Ari and his goals, \u201cMusic Therapy breaks through the barriers that prevent individuals of all ages from achieving their full potential\u201d. Ari worked with a music therapist to realize his goals.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d completed an album, and even performed his original songs live. However, Ari\u2019s ultimate goal, more than anything, was to compose the full score to a film like his role models Hans Zimmer and John Williams.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, filmmaking partners Jeff Lee Petry and Nathan Drillot were casting a different project, and their researcher came across Ari\u2019s story in a local publication. \u201cWe were very intrigued,\u201d Jeff says. They saw an opportunity to collaborate with an artist who had a unique life experience. They approached Ari and The Victoria Conservatory, who were immediately supportive. Ari\u2019s therapist Allen also appears in the film.<\/p>\n

To Jeff and Nathan, it was a story about an artist first and foremost. \u201cHe wanted to create music that impacted people,\u201d Jeff says of Ari. The filmmaker\u2019s idea was to go beyond merely scoring the film to scoring a documentary based on his own story.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe agreed early on that this wasn\u2019t going to be a disability film,\u201d Ari says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve stayed true to that journey,\u201d adds Jeff.<\/p>\n

Filmmaking, Composing<\/h2>\n

Ari says that, like most emerging composers, he didn\u2019t fully grasp the scope of the project when he started out. \u201cNo, I did not,\u201d he agrees. \u201cThe Project kind of evolved over time, and got bigger and bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInitially the film was supposed to be a TV hour,\u201d Jeff explains. However, as they began to shoot, they realized they had much more material, and went back to their producing partners, who agreed that a bigger scope was warranted.<\/p>\n