An intimate portrait of the world famous and revered classical conductor and composer Sergiu Celibidache.
This ambitious cinema docudrama follows the maestro through rehearsal with the Munich Philharmonie and on tour.
The film crew's main objective was to re-create Celibidache's universe on the widescreen and although he usually avoided publicity, he made himself extremely accessible for the film. Indeed, we were able to shoot over one hundred hours of Super 16mm film and record more than two hundred hours of digital stereo sound.
The ambition of "Sergiu Celibidache's Garden" was a simple but daunting objective: to re-establish and celebrate the old love affair between film and music by introducing to the public, a man who's tastes were as simple as he was brilliant.
From the very beginning, "Sergiu Celibidache's Garden" was planned in film terms, using both sophisticated or straightforward shots depending on the circumstances.
We have a story. The story of a man who revolutionized the classical music World.
A film about a man and his passion, a film about music and at the end, a film about ' something ' which burns in all of us , ' the spark of eternity '.
24th of November 1996 : World Premiere at the Louvre Auditorium in Paris.
24th of December 1996 (Christmas Eve): Romanian Premiere at the Ceaucescu Palace in front of 4500 people.
Romanian Literary Price : Cella della Vrancha , 1996.
Special Prize of the Jury, Amsterdam Festival 1997.
Released in Germany Summer 1997, still playing in German cinemas today.
Released in France winter 1997, played in French cinemas for over 12 months.
Released in Austria and Switzerland Spring 1998.
Released in Japan Spring 1998. Re-released for special occasions in Tokyo and Nagoya.
A small book has been assembled to accompany the film, with private statements from students who studied with the maestro, an interview with his son, the director of the film and extended conversations with the maestro himself.
The book has now been translated in English and is available from Celi Films Ltd in collaboration with Kfilms Editions.