2022 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

Imagine if social media existed during the most important times of Mozart’s life. When he was creating his first groundbreaking symphony. Would he have been able to focus? To create without being bullied or compared? Would he have been able to lead with confidence? Would we have advanced as humans the way we did? The film shows young Mozart playing the piano and broadcasting live on social his practice. Instead of focusing on his symphony, he is caught in the web of negative comments from live viewers that lead him to quit and never finish his symphony. This film is part of a series of 3 films, each portraying 3 historical geniuses: Leonardo, Mozart and Newton.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Social media can become a real addiction that can shut anyone’s potential down. Excessive use of social media can have very negative repercussions, such as low self-esteem and distraction, among other things. And Saudi Arabia uses social media excessively, to say the least. It ranks among the top countries in digital and social media consumption. Ithra, a Saudi-based cultural centre recognised how important it is to unlock the potential of each and every Saudi for a better tomorrow. It was time for Saudis to impact the world and Ithra wanted to remove any blocks or obstacles that were limiting their potential. So, it created a Digital Wellbeing Program - Called “Sync” - to overcome digital addiction.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the direction. Do not name the director.

The direction depended majorly on: 1) Recognizing the genius and the historical moment instantly. We achieved that by making sure that Mozart was dressed accordingly, that his wig was genuinely from that time, that his father called out his full name and that the piano and symphony were his. 2) Injecting a social media element seamlessly into a vintage story. We achieved that by adding a resting tablet on the piano that looked a lot like a social media live stream and we made sure the comments looked real too. 3) Capturing the tension and change social media added. This was achieved with the cast’s expressions and also with the final scene where the sheet of music falls on the floor, signifying that Mozart had given up and that the world would not know his symphony.