Composer Sebastian Androne Nakanishi was named the winner of the "Crystal Pine" Award for the Best Original Score in a Feature Film at the "International Sound & Film Music Festival" in Samobor, Croatia.He wrote the music for the film "Enescu, Skinned Alive" directed by Toma Enache, which will premiere in over 30 gala screenings nationwide starting in November. Sebastian Androne Nakanishi spoke about the award won in Croatia on the October 14th, 2024 edition of Musica Viva.

Good morning, Sebastian!

Good morning, Lucian!

And congratulations! The film "Enescu, Skinned Alive"has been awarded the "Crystal Pine" for the Best Original Score in a Feature Film at the "International Sound & Film Music Festival" in Samobor, Croatia.

Thank you!

Please tell us about the significance of this award. What does it mean to you personally?

What can I say? I came here feeling like we'd already won as a team working on "Enescu, Skinned Alive." The biggest reward was seeing our hard work recognized. And being here with three of the actors, I had the joy of seeing their reactions because they hadn't watched the film yet. It was such a privilege to be invited here and have our feature film screened for the first time.They don't usually show feature films; it's quite a small festival that mostly showcases short films. The audience loved it so much that they agreed to host the world premiere here.

I was a little shocked when I heard I'd won… Sometimes, you enter a competition and write music with the thought of winning, but that wasn't my motivation. I wanted to do justice to Enescuand, of course, to align with director Toma Enache's vision. And being here with Mircea Dragoman, who portrayed Enescu, was incredible. I told him how honored I was to meet him after watching his performance so many times. It was also a pleasure to be with Teodora Sandu, who played Maruca, and the amazing Manuela Hărăbor, who played Queen Maria. It was a truly delightful experience!

You mentioned that when director Toma Enache asked you to compose the music, you immediately agreed without hesitation. This was for the film "Enescu, Skinned Alive," the first-ever artistic film about George Enescu. So, whatdoes the music of the film sound like? What can we expect from the soundtrack, especially since the film is set to premiere in cinemas nationwide in early November?

I must mention that Toma Enache and his wife did something extraordinary by giving me this honor and responsibility. It's my first feature film, after all. They'd seen my work in previous competitions and the few awards I was blessed to win... So, they had faith in me, which is incredible!It's important to remember thatthis isn't my film but our collaborative effort. Toma Enache had a particular vision, and,as a film composer, I had to align with it. He's one of the pillars of the project, just like the actors and so on. As for the music, I kept working at it until I found exactly what Toma wanted. But he was also incredibly flexible and trusting, often allowing me to do what I thought was right. I'd suggest something, and most of the time, he'd agree.

The phrase "skinned alive" is quite intriguing, especially in English. While the title "Enescu, Skinned Alive" is gender-neutral, I applied it to both Enescu and Maruca equally since I found her character to be just as interesting as Enescu's. I hope the audience finds it as intriguing as I did. Of course, you can't please everyone, but I had two main goals: 1. I will nevertry to compete with Enescu!That's something Bianca, my wife, told me... it's challenging to write a single note when dealing with music as monumental as Enescu's.2. And, practically, to remember that I have the responsibility to do Enescu justice. I wanted to create a score that would complement his music and elevate it, ensuring that both Enescu and his story would be remembered.

Once again, congratulations, Sebastian!

Thank you.