Crossing Rachmaninoff

With: Flavio Villani

Director/Producer: Rebecca Tansley
Production co: Minerva Productions
Photography: Simon Raby
Editor: Thomas Gleeson

REVIEWS

“Enthralled, like its hero, by the turmoil, lyricism and sheer melodic grandeur of one of the most beloved works in the Romantic piano repertoire, Rebecca Tansley’s documentary recounts the voyage of Italian-born Auckland pianist Flavio Villani. From picking out TV jingles on a rusty keyboard as a child to his debut last Christmas with a Calabrian orchestra playing Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, his path has been circuitous but purposeful.

Beginning in Auckland, where Villani arrived at the age of 26 to study performance at Auckland University, the film starts four months before the big night, but incorporates a good measure of his backstory into its countdown to showtime. We see him with his own students. We see him rehearsing, performing and taking notes from his mentor, Matteo Napoli. Then it’s time to return to Italy a mere ten days ahead of the performance.

You may never want to spend another Christmas in the sun once you’ve hung out for a winter evening in the cucina Villani, though there’s something of the prodigal son about this food-filled homecoming… Villani’s modestly avowed assurance and his easy intimacy with the filmmaker make him an entirely winning subject even when he’s not channelling Rachmaninoff.”

— Bill Gosden, NZIFF 2015

FILM SOCIETY SCREENINGS

West Melton & Districts Film Society
Thursday, 2 March, 7.45pm

Waitati Film Society
Tuesday, 21 March, 8.00pm

Palmerston North Film Society
Monday, 26 June, 6.00pm

Nelson Film Society
Thursday, 3 August, 6.00pm

Queenstown Film Society
Tuesday, 15 August, 8.30pm

Carterton Film Society
Friday, 1 September, 8.00pm

Tauranga Film Society
Wednesday, 1 November, 6.15pm

CROSSING RACHMANINOFF