No other composer has been quoted so often, written about, adopted for political and revolutionary causes. But who was the real Beethoven?
The romantic image is one of a heroic, tormented figure battling to overcome his tragic fate, struck down by deafness, who searched for his 'immortal beloved' but remained unmarried. Phil Grabsky sets out to find the real man behind the image and reveals someone quite different and far more interesting.
Grabsky and his crew travelled across Europe and North America to interview historians and musicians during rehearsals and performances. Remarkably, they managed to film 55 performances for the film. The film shows some of the world's leading performers in action, among them exclusive footage of Claudio Abbado's critically-acclaimed performance of Beethoven's opera Fidelio, Riccardo Chailly, Emanuel Ax, and many more.
Rene Letzgus will attend the screening of
Sheila Hayman, a descendent of Felix Mendelssohn, will present
The award winning director and art critic will attend the festival and conduct a 
