Beethoven’s Nine – Ode to Humanity

Larry Weinstein’s film about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony will have its world premiere at Hot Docs festival. Unitel has taken over the distribution.

In early 2023, filmmaker Larry Weinstein set out to make a documentary about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It was supposed to be about how far we have come in the two hundred years since it was written. But when world events pull Larry into his own film, the question becomes a deeply personal one. Beethoven’s Nine is a documentary about music, but also about war and hope.

It follows nine unique individuals, including Ukrainian musicians, a deaf composer, a Polish rock star, a best-selling author, a legendary cartoonist and Weinstein himself, as they try to better understand the legacy of Beethoven’s Ninth, the composer’s own struggles, the inspiration music can provide and how humanity continues to look for hope even in the darkest times.

The film is available in time for the 200th anniversary of the 9th Symphony on 7 May (distribution: Unitel). On the 28 April, Beethoven’s Nine – Ode to Humanity will have its world premiere at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto.

Original title Beethoven's Nine – Ode to Humanity
Genre Documentary
Production year 2023/24
Production Company 3B-Produktion
Production Company Riddle Films
Co-Production Company ZDF/Arte
Co-Production Company SRG SSR
Producer Jason Charters, Bernhard von Hülsen, Liam Romalis, Maria Willer
Executive Producer Wolfgang Bergmann, Sarah Polley
Editor David New
Director Larry Weinstein