Following the Ninth
In the Footsteps of Beethoven’s Final Symphony
Director: Kerry Candaele
2013 USA / Germany / UK / Austria / Chile / China / Japan / South Africa 78 mins.
In 1824, resolute in the face of his failing health, deafness and alienation from almost everyone, Beethoven managed to create an anthem of joy that embraces the transcendence of beauty over suffering. Filmed on 5 continents and in 12 countries, Following The Ninth is the story of four people whose lives have been transformed, repaired and healed by the 9th’s message. At Tienanmen Square in 1989, students played the 9th over loudspeakers as the army came in to crush their protests for freedom. In Chile, women under the Pinochet dictatorship sang the 9th at torture prisons, and those inside took hope when they heard the music. In Japan each December, the 9th is performed hundreds of times, often with 10,000 people in the chorus. Part road trip, part adventure, Following The Ninth is a story about the power of music and human resilience in dark times.
Trailer:
About the Director:
Kerry Candaele was born in Vancouver, Canada, and grew up in Lompoc, a small town on California’s central coast.He has produced and directed several documentaries. His producer credits include Following the Ninth: In the Footsteps of Beethoven’s Final Symphony, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price and Iraq For Sale for Brave New Films. He has also collaborated with his brother on the documentary, A League of Their Own, about their mother’s experience in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Kerry attended Columbia University, where he was a Richard Hofstadter Fellow and President’s Fellow in U.S. History. He has worked all over the world—including China, East Timor, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jordan, South Africa, Gaza, and the West Bank—for the Democracy Council (DemocracyCouncil.org), an NGO dedicated to peaceful reform in developing nations.