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CAMERON CARPENTER - THE SOUND OF MY LIFE

By Thomas GRUBE

BOOMTOWN MEDIA - as SALES All rights, World / PROD / FIN

Documentary - Completed 2014

Cameron Carpenter, at the age of 31, is one of the most dazzling phenomena of the international music scene. This film tells the stirring story of this American, a young man who has set himself a very ambitious goal: the reinvention of the grandest of all musical instruments, the pipe organ.

- Year of production
- 2014
- Genres
- Documentary
- Countries
- GERMANY, JAPAN, USA
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Budget
- 0.3 - 0.6 M$
- Duration
- 52 mn
- Director(s)
- Thomas GRUBE
- Writer(s)
- Thomas GRUBE
- Cast
- Cameron CARPENTER
- Producer(s)
- Uwe DIERKS (Boomtown Media), Thomas GRUBE (Boomtown Media), Kayo WASHIO (WOWOW)
- Synopsis
- CAMERON CARPENTER – THE SOUND OF MY LIFE is another first-rate documentary- and musicfilm by Boomtown Media with strong and emotional storytelling and a beautiful visual language. This film (available as 1-hour and 90 min. program) by award-winning director Thomas Grube (e.g. “Rhythm Is It!”, “Trip To Asia”, “Lang Lang”) tells the touching story of one of today’s most exciting young virtuosos, the American organist Cameron Carpenter, who has set himself an ambitious goal against all odds: the physical reinvention of the grandest of all musical instruments, the pipe organ. It is Cameron Carpenter’s tale about passion and courage at a most decisive turning point of his artistic career and personal life.
  Whether at the BBC Proms in London's Royal Albert Hall, in New York's Lincoln Center or with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Cameron intertwines virtuosity with musical intelligence and, in doing so, attracts above all a young audience into the sacred halls of classical music. It is not at all surprising that the success he has had with this approach has, on occasion, been perceived as a transgression by the organ world: some purists view it as a bit too much action for an art whose grandeur has traditionally lain much more in composure and tranquility. But Cameron himself has no interest in formalities.
  Since 10 years he dreams of a transportable organ tailored specifically just to him. A never-before-seen, futuristic and one-of-a-kind instrument with even more pedals, keyboards and stop knobs than any other instrument – all tuned precisely to his physical needs and artistic concepts and expectations. The rarest music instrument in the world, one that breaks with all established traditions of organ technology. Cameron himself has drafted the design and has already christened his new organ "Excalibur," after King Arthur's legendary sword. The construction designs for the million-dollar project are finally finished, and since only a few weeks ago Cameron has at last also found a bank that is willing to finance his great dream. Now, he can hardly await the "dawn of a new era."
  The dramatic narrative of the film is bracketed by Cameron Carpenter's dream of a new instrument, of the "liberation of the organ" and in turn of himself as an artistic personality. The film accompanies the controversial musician through all the highs and lows as he pursues his ambitious project, all the way up until he achieves his grand objective. At the same time, THE SOUND OF MY LIFE offers an enthralling portrait of the virtuoso organist, his driving motivations, and his contradictory personality.
- Partners & financing
- ZDF, Arte, WOWOW, Sony Music Entertainment
- Beginning of shooting
- Oct 01, 2013