Once upon Our Time

In June 2007, the 10-year-old violin prodigy Annas, from the suburbs of Tunis, got the chance of a lifetime: he was awarded a scholarship to study with the international greats in his field. This documentary follows him over the next two years, in which Annas travels to Paris, Brussels and New York for private lessons before finally being accepted to the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in London. Director Hichem Ben Ammar comments on the fairy tale-like aspects of Annas's success in asides that evoke the stories. But ultimately, Annas's story is first and foremost a portrait of his father Abderraouf. This trombonist and music teacher regards his son's achievements as the realization of his own broken dreams of musical success. Even before Annas was born, it was clear to his father that his son was to become a musician. Now the father must learn to live with the estrangement that his son's success will inevitably cause.