God of the Piano

  • 80'
  • Israel
  • 2019

Concert pianist Anat’s waters break while she is playing. Devastatingly, her son proves deaf. The 'Baby Mozart' CD her father gives her can go straight in the bin. However, Anat's will to raise a piano genius who would befit her respected musical family only becomes stronger, and she takes drastic measures to make this happen.

Composed as a moral parable with a touch of thriller, God of the Piano tells the story of a mother – played with great reserve by Naama Preis – whose obsessive behaviour and mile-high expectations threaten to crush her child, just as she was once crushed. While focusing on mother-son relations, the film also explores the uncertain nature of prodigy. Is talent inherited? Is there a secret tension or even an interplay between giftedness and averageness? And – most importantly – what price does a person, be it adult or child, pay for being labelled a genius?

Director
Itay Tal
Premiere
World premiere
Country of production
Israel
Year
2019
Festival Edition
IFFR 2019
Length
80'
Medium
DCP
Language
Hebrew
Producers
Itay Tal, Shani Egozin
Sales
Film Republic
Screenplay
Itay Tal
Cinematography
Meidan Arama
Production Design
Shir Kleiman
Music
Roie Shpigler, Hillel Teplitzky, Eran Zvirin
Cast
Naama Preis, Ze'ev Shimshoni, Andy Levi, Ron Bitterman, Leora Rivlin, Shimon Mimran, Alon Openhaim
Director
Itay Tal
Premiere
World premiere
Country of production
Israel
Year
2019
Festival Edition
IFFR 2019
Length
80'
Medium
DCP
Language
Hebrew
Producers
Itay Tal, Shani Egozin
Sales
Film Republic
Screenplay
Itay Tal
Cinematography
Meidan Arama
Production Design
Shir Kleiman
Music
Roie Shpigler, Hillel Teplitzky, Eran Zvirin
Cast
Naama Preis, Ze'ev Shimshoni, Andy Levi, Ron Bitterman, Leora Rivlin, Shimon Mimran, Alon Openhaim