Live Musical Performance of
A Return Home
Experience A Return Home in a Completely New Way
As the documentary unfolds on screen, pianist Jennifer Blyth performs the original award-winning score live on the piano, creating an immersive cinematic concert.
More than a Screening
Filmed in Ireland in 2024, A Return Home is an award-winning documentary that captures the resilience of Ukrainians displaced by war.
The film is framed from the perspective of Ukrainian journalist Nataliia Ruda; her reflections and narration complemented by the haunting and heart-achingly beautiful score composed by Pat Long.
Since 2025, A Return Home has been on the road traveling around the United States and the world to meet audiences where they are. It has been screened in university auditoriums to film festivals, to community centers, art galleries, and pop-up venues.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We are willing to make any space fit though ideally this works best in a performance space with a ceiling height of at least 20 ft needed to accommodate a projector screen high enough for an audience to see above a seated crowd.
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Our tech rider is as simple as it gets.
We need good electrical outlets and the ability to darken the performance space.
Live performance works best with an acoustic piano but this does not need to be a concert level instrument at all. We can substitute a keyboard though this is not ideal.
If your location is driving distance from Carlisle, PA, we can travel with our own screens, speakers and projectors and are also adept at tapping into existing performance space media equipment.
We have performed in everything from 1000 seat concert halls, 100 year old movie theatres, Adirondack cabins to living rooms.
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We need no more than an hour to set up.
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After the documentary screening and live musical performance, there is typically a panel discussion and Q&A with the pianist Jennifer Blyth, Arrivals co-creators Jon Cox and/or Andy Bale, and special guests that have insight on human-rights, refugee placement, Ukrainian/Russian geopolitics, war, or other related topics.
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The subject matter of our film feels urgently prescient and as such we are dedicated to performances that are non-for-profit covering the per-diem costs of traveling. We were lucky to receive good funding in building this project and honor that generosity by paying it forward with screenings that simply cover costs.
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The documentary and live performance is approximately 30 minutes long. The following panel discussion and Q&A would also be approximately 30 minutes long.
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A Return Home does not push a political view or agenda. Specifically,
It does not investigate the socio-economic reasons of the Russia/Ukrainian war.
It does not mention or comment on the United States’s government, refugee/immigration policies, prominent politicians, or political parties in relation to Ukraine, Russia, and the ongoing war.
The documentary does call for reflection and empathy by revealing the profound human toll of war and the extraordinary strength of those uprooted and forced to rebuild.
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There are no graphic images of violence in the documentary. However, there is reference to war, violence, and sexual violence. Parental discretion is advised for younger viewers.
Original Score
“Much of the music for this film takes inspiration from late 19th century European piano music, the harmonic language of which has always felt beyond my legitimate purview as a contemporary American composer. But reaching across time for something unavailable to me (late Romantic period harmonies) seemed to mirror the sense of separation and loss that these refugees feel for their home country.”
~ Pat Long
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Jennifer Blyth’s performing schedule has taken her to twenty-three states throughout the U.S. and internationally she has appeared in Russia, South Africa, Canada, England, France, Iceland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Australia. Blyth has participated in residencies across four continents and has performed at prestigious venues such as Weill Recital Hall, Chicago Art Institute, Corcoran Gallery, and the Bang on a Can Series.
She has premiered over thirty new compositions, has been featured on National Public Radio, Canadian Broadcasting Commission, C-Span, Australian Broadcasting Commission National Radio, Icelandic National Radio and the Australian Broadcasting Commission Television Network and she has recorded on the Musica Omnia and Innova labels. Her work can be heard on podcasts out of the National Constitution Center and more recently on the soundtrack for the documentary “A Return Home” which garnered nine film awards including “Best Soundtrack for the London International Film Festival”. Blyth is currently Professor of Music at Dickinson College, Pennsylvania.
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Patrick Long currently serves as Professor of Music and Dean of the Schools of the Arts and Humanities at Susquehanna University. A versatile performer and prolific composer, Patrick Long holds degrees from Syracuse University and the Eastman School of Music. Though he has completed over 100 premiered compositions for traditional performing forces, including soloists, chamber ensembles, orchestras, choirs, and bands, he is best known for his “computer music theater” works that incorporate storytelling, live performers, interactive electronics, and performance-driven multi-media.
Book a Live Performance
Bring pianist Jennifer Blyth to your venue to play the award-winning score live with the documentary.
This immersive experience is a powerful fusion of film and live music that will stay with your audience long after the final note.
We collaborate with you to tailor Arrivals programing for your audience and venue.