Felix Mendelssohn, of Wedding March fame, was a devout Christian - and also a Jew. This became a considerable embarrassment for the Nazis, when they were faced with trying to write Germany's favourite composer out of history.

Forty-four different composers were hired to rewrite ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ - all of them failed. Aryan Germans were not allowed to play or listen to Mendelssohn, while Jewish Germans were forbidden Brahms and Beethoven. Meanwhile, his part-Jewish descendants were forced into an insane genealogical treasure-hunt, searching for enough Aryan blood to save themselves from deportation and death.

The composer's descendent, director Sheila Hayman, explores the effects of this mixed legacy on Felix's reputation, on the family and on the Jews of Germany, through music and interviews with those who lived through it. A film about the madness of labels, and the unifying power of music.
 

 

     
In partnership with BI ARTS (British Israeli Arts Training Scheme), an initiative of the 
British  Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Sport.