Kathleen Ferrier

A film by Diane Perelsztejn

For lovers of music, Kathleen Ferrier is truly unique. Her international career spanned just eight years between 1946 and 1953, but it was enough to place her among the greatest singers of all time. Drawing on a wealth of recently discovered material sourced from archives around the world, including intimate home movies and photographs, this moving film sheds new light on her remarkable life and meteoric rise to fame. Intertwined with digitally remastered recordings of her finest performances, including some never before released, the film features a rare sound interview recorded at the peak of her career that lends Ferrier’s own distinctive voice to the story. This is a stirring portrait of an extraordinary woman in love with life and music, and whose glorious voice enthralled the whole world.

Year:
2012
Length:
68 Minutes
Version(s) :
FR, EN
Director(s):
Diane Perelsztejn
Writer(s):
Diane Perelsztejn
Producer(s):
Willy Perelsztejn, Françoise Gazio
Camera:
John Davey, Etienne Carton de Grammont
Sound:
Philippe Vandendriessche
Music:
Ensemble Ictus, dirigé par Georges-Elie Octors, Wingates Band, dirigé par Roy Newsome
Editing:
Marguerite Le Bourgeois, Boris Van der Avoort
With:
Marthe Keller, Charlotte Rampling

A production by Les Films de la Mémoire, Création et Mémoire, Idéale Audience, Diane Perelsztejn & Company, ARTE France, CPC, Sophimages

With the support of: Centre National de la Cinématographie et de l’Image Animée, Procirep / Angoa, Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Walllonie-Bruxelles, VOO, Fonds Audiovisuel de Flandre, MEDIA Program of the European Union, Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government, UBIK, Screen Australia

With the participation of : RTBF, RSI, YLE, ERR, RTS, Knowledge Network

Additional Information

Career

Festivals
EPOS Israel
FIFA Montreal Canada
Broadcasts
ARTEFrance
ERREstonia
KNOWLEDGE NETWORKCanada
NRKNorway
NTRNetherlands
RSISwitzerland
RTBFBelgium
RTSSlovenia
SBSAustralia
SVTSweden
TVPPoland
VRTBelgium
YLEFinland
Distributors / Sales Agents
DECCAInternational DVD distribution
Screenings
2300 tickets sold in Belgium and Luxembourg (in 3 weeks at 10 cinemas)
Watch Kathleen Ferrier on Vimeo

The Film

Film Reviews

Press Comments

Michael D. Jacobson

"...Thank you for the wonderful job you have done in bringing her alive for us all once more...Totally beautiful and totally faithful to the radiant young woman, as I will always remember her.

Music Critic
2012

Opéra Magazine

Si l'apparition de Kathleen Ferrier, il y a plus d'un demi-siècle, fut de l'ordre du prodige et du mystère, ce qui nous advient aujourd'hui est presque aussi miraculeux: une résurrection.

Rémy Stricker
June 2012

Le Soir

Truffé de documents rares, d'entretiens avec des musiciens ou d'enregistrements inédits de Ferrier, le film de Diane Perelsztejn file la chaire de poule et fait tout à la fois du bien. ... C'est tout à la fois de la nourriture spirituelle, du vin chaud pour les ventres affamés, et du baume pour les âmes mortes.

Nicolas Crousse
March 2012
Film Stills

Gallery