Review by Chris Walts

Throw Down Your Heart is director Sascha Paladino’s light hearted film about banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck's journey to bring the banjo back to its African routes. The film is really nothing more than a series of jam sessions between Béla Fleck and an assortment of incredible African musicians - if you love music, this film is for you. Throw Down Your Heart is probably best enjoyed by simply closing your eyes and listening to the wonderful music that is created. If you are looking for any real documentary work however, there isn’t much in this film about the history of the banjo, and, even from an ethnographic point of simply seeing the African people, the film falls short. Still, Béla Fleck seems genuinely moved by the people he meets, so the film does warm the heart. In the end however, Throw Down Your Heart really is just about the music which makes it hard to complain about - the music is outstanding.

Throw Down Your Heart
Sascha Paladino | USA | 2008 | 97min

Fri. Sept. 26 | 6:45pm | Empire Granville Theatre 1
Sat. Sept. 27 | 1:30pm | Empire Granville Theatre 2
Mon. Oct. 6 | 7:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre 2