Chopin Saved My Life

2013

The film explores the incredible transformative power of Chopin's Ballade No. 1, a musical work that has captivated millions of people around the world. Less than ten minutes long and extremely difficult to perform, it requires extraordinary feats of control, speed, memory, power, and dexterity. In this moving documentary, two people from opposite sides of the world talk about the effect the piece has had on their lives. Japanese teenager Momoka, who is still trying to overcome the trauma of the earthquake that struck her community, finds in music the perfect outlet to release the anguish she hides inside. For Scottish music student Paul, who is recovering from his fifth brain surgery, the Ballade literally changed his life. For him, the return of his memory is due to the emotional appeal of the work. Four of today's greatest living pianists also participate in the documentary: Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lang Lang, Imogen Cooper, and Stephen Hough.

Directed by James Kent