'Copying Beethoven'

[srivele]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Joy:
[B] Here is a website for the Toronto Film Festival but I really didn't find anything,

Just had word from Toronto. The premiere was descrbed as "a triumph." The festival rep said that of all the films screened so far, ours was the first to receive a standing ovation. More details to follow.

[sjwenger]

Huzzah times three!

I'll miss opening night at home, as I'll be on travel, but as soon as I get back, I'll be THERE!

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[Joy]

[quote]Originally posted by srivele:
[b]

Originally posted by Joy:
Here is a website for the Toronto Film Festival but I really didn't find anything,

Just had word from Toronto. The premiere was descrbed as "a triumph." The festival rep said that of all the films screened so far, ours was the first to receive a standing ovation. More details to follow.

Wow! That is excellent, excellent news, Stephen!! All my family and friends and I cannot wait to see it!!! We are anxiously waiting for it to open here! My brother (you know him) is going to treat everyone to it's premiere and to 'goodies' in the theatre. Thanks for keeping us so updated on the reviews, etc. so interesting!

I wonder if any entertainment programs on TV will be focusing on this film in the near future to help promote it or if Ed Harris will be on any talk shows to 'plug' this new movie like they do? Do you know of anything happening for advertising purposes for the public?

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited 09-11-2006).]

[terry]

Originally posted by srivele:
[lm Festival ust had word from Toronto. The premiere was descrbed as "a triumph." The festival rep said that of all the films screened so far, ours was the first to receive a standing ovation. More details to follow.[/B]

hurrah! Where could we find this news on the web if on toronto site there is nothing?beethoven rocks!

[OB]

Hi SR,

Is anything be confirmed about the US premiere of the film? Would you attend the US permiere? Really hope can join it and see the film soon~~

[Preston]

Mr. Rivele,
I was wondering if you could tell us, if in the movie it shows how Beethoven might have heard things and what you think about it being in the movie?

They did that in Immortal Beloved and it sent chills down my spine. Especially the scene where he is playing the introduction to the first movement of his Emperor Concerto.

Kind Regards,
Preston

[srivele]

Originally posted by Preston:
Mr. Rivele,
I was wondering if you could tell us, if in the movie it shows how Beethoven might have heard things and what you think about it being in the movie?

They did that in Immortal Beloved and it sent chills down my spine. Especially the scene where he is playing the introduction to the first movement of his Emperor Concerto.

Kind Regards,
Preston

The question of how much Beethoven can hear is an important dramatic problem in depicting him. If he can hear only very little, then everyone will have to shout at him or repeat what they say, which would be intolerable for an audience. If he cannot hear at all, then you cannot have dialogue, since things said to him will have to be written down (as, in fact, they were). We tried to split the difference, making it clear that he hears a little with the aid of an ear trumpet, but that he also reads lips, which, though it was probably not entirely true (though I do think he developed the ability to read lips to an extent), does make it possible for him to engage in conversations with other characters. And so we portray him as insisting that everyone look at him when they speak, and also as using an ear trumpet from time to time. We occasionally have him mistunderstanding or failing to hear things that are said to him, but you cannot do this too often without making the audience impatient.

So far audiences seem to accept what we have done. They understand the depth of his disability, without having it create an obstacle to enjoying the film.

[srivele]

Originally posted by OB:
Hi SR,

Is anything be confirmed about the US premiere of the film? Would you attend the US permiere? Really hope can join it and see the film soon~~

I have just learned that the U.S. release date has been moved from October 13 to November 10, to enable MGM to do more marketing. The film is to premiere in 30 theaters in 15 cities. I will keep you informed.

[DavidO]

Originally posted by srivele:
The question of how much Beethoven can hear is an important dramatic problem in depicting him. If he can hear only very little, then everyone will have to shout at him or repeat what they say, which would be intolerable for an audience. If he cannot hear at all, then you cannot have dialogue, since things said to him will have to be written down (as, in fact, they were). We tried to split the difference, making it clear that he hears a little with the aid of an ear trumpet, but that he also reads lips, which, though it was probably not entirely true (though I do think he developed the ability to read lips to an extent), does make it possible for him to engage in conversations with other characters.

I think he could handle a bit of lip-reading, too, although I'm only guessing. Actually, I think most of us can lip-read more than we think we can, regardless of the acuity of our hearing.

One interesting thing about Beethoven, which is backed up by virtually every guest or friend who used a conversation book to communicate with him. He had the ability to complete their thoughts in his mind well before they finished jotting it down. Anecdote after anecdote in the historical record indicates that Beethoven only needed to see the first few words or phrases in order to predict the intended question or response. Now I suppose that many of us have this ability to a small degree: We finish one another's sentences in conversation, for example--particularly with people we know well. But in Beethoven's case, this ability seemed heightened well beyond the typical. Rossini might ask him, "What do you think of the ..." & before he could finish writing Beethoven would jump in, correctly, with "Oh, the audiences here in Vienna are abysmal" (just an hypothesized example).

[Joy]

Originally posted by srivele:

I have just learned that the U.S. release date has been moved from October 13 to November 10, to enable MGM to do more marketing. The film is to premiere in 30 theaters in 15 cities. I will keep you informed.

Hopefully one of those cities will be Phoenix!!



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[Preston]

Originally posted by srivele:

I have just learned that the U.S. release date has been moved from October 13 to November 10, to enable MGM to do more marketing. The film is to premiere in 30 theaters in 15 cities. I will keep you informed.

Mr. Rivele,
I am confused, are you saying that 'Copying Beethoven' will not be coming to local theaters at all, or are you saying that it is only premiering in 15 cities and then will come to local theaters?

[srivele]

Originally posted by Joy:
Hopefully one of those cities will be Phoenix!!

I am supposed to get a list of the cities, so I will let you know.

[srivele]

Originally posted by Preston:
Mr. Rivele,
I am confused, are you saying that 'Copying Beethoven' will not be coming to local theaters at all, or are you saying that it is only premiering in 15 cities and then will come to local theaters?

As I am sure you know, when a movie opens, it does so either 'wide' or in limited release. Wide usually means a thousand to three thousand theaters in every part of the country. This would be true of big studio pictures such as Troy, or The DaVinci Code. Smaller films, such as ours, are initially released in selected cities and specific theaters, in order to try to build an audience. Ed Harris's film Pollock, for example, opened in two theaters - one in New York and one in L.A. - and its audience built from there. This is so because of the exigencies of budget. We simply do not have millions of dollars to put behind the film, as Universal of Warners would do. And so, the film will appear initially in fifteen cities and thirty theaters, which is actually rather wide for a picture of our budget, and we will hope that demand builds from there.

[Joy]

Originally posted by srivele:
I am supposed to get a list of the cities, so I will let you know.

Thanks Stephen, please do.



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[Chris]

Yes, hopefully Baltimore or Washington will be on the list