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Throw Down Your Heart

Play trailer Poster for Throw Down Your Heart 2009 1h 37m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Béla Fleck is a virtuoso banjo player who embarks on a personal and cultural journey to Africa to learn about the origins of his beloved instrument -- which did not, contrary to popular belief, originate in backwoods Appalachia. Touring Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali, Fleck jams with some master musicians, duels with a Gambian banjo player, learns about the banjo's ancient history and basks in the pleasure that music affords, a pleasure that transcends cultural boundaries.
Throw Down Your Heart

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Throw Down Your Heart is an exuberant musical journey with an edge of sadness.

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Critics Reviews

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Ted Fry Seattle Times 08/06/2009
3/4
This is an honest journey into discovery that reveals the connection music brings between cultures where commonality is not always easy to find. Go to Full Review Laura Bennett Boston Globe 07/09/2009
2.5/4
Fleck is an ideal protagonist for a film about the adhesive power of music and inadequacy of speech. Even as the plot sags and he grasps clumsily for words, his fingers on the strings are almost momentum enough. Go to Full Review New York Post 04/24/2009
2/4
The movie is at least 20 minutes too long. By the time Fleck gets to the final stop, Mali, the film, directed by Sascha Paladino (a half-brother of Fleck), has worn out its welcome. Go to Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row 07/07/2019
2.5/4
As a whole the film often feels more like a PBS special than a theatrical documentary, but it's hard to deny the film's charms. Go to Full Review Brandy McDonnell The Oklahoman 08/13/2018
3.5/4
The stories accent the universality of people without needing to overtly point it out. Go to Full Review Jennifer Merin About.com 08/16/2009
3.5/5
Musician Bela Fleck brings the banjo back to Africa, where it originated. Overall, the music is terrific and the film's intentions are good. But less would have been more. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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12/15/2013 Bela Fleck's flick is an incredible journey of music See more 05/10/2013 I may be biased on this one. As a huge Fleck fan, I saw the premier in Central Park after a particularly awesome concert. It was a neat experience. See more 11/06/2012 Bela Fleck compels this documentary forward through his skilled playing, but it still feels repetitive and lacking the substance and weight that many other documentarians, such as Herzog, seem to portray and capture. It is a beautiful look into Africa and the culture of music there. See more 07/01/2012 Wonderful panoramic view of the music of sub-Saharan Africa and an American's collaboration with these superb musicians. See more 05/28/2011 For the love of music. Awesome movie :) See more 04/10/2011 This documentary is full of emotion, adventure, and wonderful music. The brave and virtuosic Béla Fleck takes the banjo in the only direction left untraveled by him, directly into its African roots. With a humble spirit and collaborative skills honed over a lifetime of performing and recording, Béla and his fellow travelers and hosts create an enchanting narrative that leaps from one African culture to another, each with its own deep traditions, players, and instrumentation. With a hypnotic energy, the music will lift your heart and make you feel like dancing. Celebrate life, music, and the banjo and enjoy this film! See more Read all reviews
Throw Down Your Heart

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Cast & Crew

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Sascha Paladino

Director

Béla Fleck

Producer

Sascha Paladino

Producer

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Throw Down Your Heart

Throw Down Your Heart (2008) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Béla Fleck is a virtuoso banjo player who embarks on a personal and cultural journey to Africa to learn about the origins of his beloved instrument -- which did not, contrary to popular belief, originate in backwoods Appalachia. Touring Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali, Fleck jams with some master musicians, duels with a Gambian banjo player, learns about the banjo's ancient history and basks in the pleasure that music affords, a pleasure that transcends cultural boundaries.
Director
Sascha Paladino
Producer
Béla Fleck, Sascha Paladino
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 24, 2009, Limited
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 3, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA)
$88.6K
Runtime
1h 37m