Category
Documentary
director
Cosima Lange
production
Basis Berlin Filmproduktion
country
Germany
format
HD, DCP
runtime
52/98 min
year
2015
broadcaster
ZDF
language
English
subtitled_versions
German, English
genre
Arts & Culture, Human Interest, Music, TV-Version available
HELLO I AM DAVID!
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HELLO I AM DAVID!
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HELLO I AM DAVID!
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Synopsis

After the Oscar®-winning film SHINE told the story of his extraordinary life, concert pianist David Helfgott achieved world fame as a unique artistic personality.

HELLO I AM DAVID! is the first ever documentary about this exceptional pianist; a wunderkind whose career seemed to be over after a nervous breakdown. Yet through the healing power of music and his great love for his wife Gillian, he fought his way back to normal life and the concert stage. This film allows us to witness David Helfgott's infectious passion and impulsiveness. He plays what he feels, he says what he thinks, and touches people in the true sense of the word.

Pure and direct in both his playing and character – this moving, inspiring film gives us a revealing insight into David Helfgott's personality and life in music. Yet HELLO I AM DAVID! is above all a film about love: The love of life, the love of music - and the compelling love between two people who are as enchanting as they are dissimilar.

Festivals

  • Doc Edge Festival, New Zealand (2016)
  • Released theatrically in Germany (Piffl), Austria (Polyfilm), Switzerland (Xenix)

More info

"In this generous documentary, which takes up the endearing enthusiasm of its subject, the life of concert pianist David Helfgott gets a contemporary setting to supplant the fixed, fictionalised portrait of his 1996 biopic Shine." THE SUNDAY AGE