Not since Paganini had there been such a magician on the violin, a musical ‘wunderkind’ who went on to set the standards for nearly a century. Through home movies and personal family photos taken from 1903-1987, this documentary filmed in Vilna, Lithuania, Saint Petersburg, Russia, and in Los Angeles, re-creates a life that spanned the 20th Century. We hear from all the great violinists of his generation, and from many of his former students who are still alive, that Heifetz was a legendary but mysterious figure whose story embodies the dual nature of artistic genius. Is the man and the artist the same person? What is the price each pays? And who was the man behind the music?

---

Recording: January 1 2011
Director: Peter Rosen
Duration: 01:27