Trailer (the video will start after advertisement)
Synopsis
![]()
In a world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life. Sixty-two-year-old Walter Vale is sleepwalking through his life. Having lost his passion for teaching and writing, he fills the void by unsuccessfully trying to learn to play classical piano. When his college sends him to Manhattan to attend a conference, Walter is surprised to find a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment. Victims of a real estate scam, Tarek, a Syrian man, and Zainab, his Senegalese girlfriend, have nowhere else to go. In the first of a series of tests of the heart, Walter reluctantly allows the couple to stay with him. Touched by his kindness, Tarek, a talented musician, insists on teaching the aging academic to play the African drum. The instrument's exuberant rhythms revitalize Walter's faltering spirit and open his eyes to a vibrant world of local jazz clubs and Central Park drum circles. As the friendship between the two men deepens, the differences in culture, age and temperament fall away.
Rating




Get the full version
Download Behind the Scenes
Watch Behind the Scenes
Download Interview with the director, Tom McCarthy
Watch Interview with the director, Tom McCarthy
Details
Language: English
Year of production: 2007
Length: 103 minutes
Country: United States
Directors:
Producers:
Jeff Skoll
Oliver Bokelberg
Actors:
Haaz Sleiman
Danai Gurira
Hiam Abbass





















