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"A superb new film . . . The cinematography is beautiful, the music lovely,
and the commentary intelligent and focussed." |
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Made to celebrate the 900th birthday of Hildegard von Bingen whom The New York Times has described as "Before the Renaissance, A Renaissance Woman," this definitive documentary was shot at the major Hildegard sites: the tranquil ruins of the Disibodenberg; the flourishing present-day St. Hildegard Abbey; Trier (where Hildegard's visions were recognized by the Pope in 1148); 12th century Eberbach (an abbey that helped preserve the memory of Hildegard despite centuries of brutal wars), and Hildegard's beloved rivers, the tiny Nahe and the mighty Rhine with Roman ruins and lowering castles still lining its banks. |
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Scholars interviewed on camera about Hildegard's life and surprising times include Barbara Newman, authority on Hildegard's theology of the feminine; Monika Klaes, specialist on Hildegard's bold letters; Irmgard Müller, world expert on Hildegard's herbal and medical work; and Franz Staab, author of a biography of Hildegard based on newly discovered 12th-century manuscripts. Rich in images drawn from the world's great collections held in Paris, Cambridge, Heidelberg, Lucca, Leiden, and Eibingen, the film contains some of the most beautiful work achieved in over a thousand years of monastic book illustration. On the soundtrack are a number of Hildegard's more than seventy surviving songs, superbly sung by the noted group Sequentia and by the nuns of the St. Hildegard Abbey. We also see and hear a section of the world's first morality play as produced by the famed Folger Consort. Directed by Jo Francis and John Fuegi. English language version narrated by Tara Hugo and David Bateson. Written by John Fuegi, Jo Francis, and Niels Pagh Andersen, Editor. Cinematography by Morten Bruus. Music by Hildegard of Bingen. Produced by Flare Productions (US) & Foreningen Casablanca (DK). "A Heavenly Portrait of Hildegard" Winner of the Silver Documentary Award at the Philadelphia and Houston International Film Festivals. For broadcast licensing and DVD video distribution information contact Flare Productions: jf@flarefilms.org Danish version, At danse med engle: et portręt af Hildegard af Bingen, is available from libraries in Denmark thanks to the Danish Film Institute . |