The Rhapsody — Claims Conference Film Grants

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The impressive life story of Polish-born musician and Shoah survivor Leo Spellman, who emigrated to Canada in 1948, made a career in Toronto as a composer, concert pianist and music director, and celebrated a musical triumph with “The Rhapsody” at the age of 99.

Synopsis

The Rhapsody is the astonishing story of composer Leo Spellman, a Holocaust survivor who sets out on a riveting and emotional journey towards artistic liberation at the age of ninety-eight. The film features a musical masterpiece lost for more than fifty years, a secret wartime diary revealed for the first time, a gripping account of survival told through bold animation and narration by Stephen Fry, and powerful live concert performances by orchestras in Canada and Europe.

About the Director

DAVID HOFFERT has won or been nominated for fifteen international awards for his work producing, directing, and/or editing feature documentaries and over three hundred episodes of television. Documentary highlights include producing and directing The Rhapsody, about a 99-year-old Holocaust survivor, his long-lost music and secret wartime diaries; directing the NFB feature OCD: The War Inside; and producing Magical Imperfection, about the renowned architect Raymond Moriyama. Hoffert’s many television directing and producing credits include Bollywed, Canada Sings, The Transgender Project, American Mystery, Yukon Gold, Style by Jury, Party Mamas, Lakefront Luxury and Designer Guys. In addition, Hoffert has edited one hundred episodes of television, composed musical scores for TV and theatrical productions, and produced the first recordings of the Beastie Boys. Full résumé and clips can be found at davidhoffert.weebly.com

Artistic Statement

The first time I met Leo Spellman I instantly knew that his story had to be told. Here he was, at the age of ninety-eight, recording for the first time a spell-binding orchestral composition he had written in 1947 to document his harrowing struggle to survive the Holocaust. The piece had only been performed once by concentration camp survivors before it was lost for fifty years. Little did I know that I would be beginning a venture that would include the discovery of his secret wartime diaries, triumphant concert performances, and a journey to Poland to not only see Spellman’s hometown but to find the house where my grandfather was born. I am proud to bring Spellman’s unforgettable story and music to the world, and gratified that it helped me find my roots.

David Hoffert

Director, Producer – The Rhapsody