Love & Justice: In the Footsteps of Beethoven’s Rebel Opera

I’d like to introduce you to an exciting film project I have been working on as a writer and story producer …

Love & Justice: In the Footsteps of Beethoven’s Rebel Opera is a documentary film about the power of hope even when there is no cause for optimism. It interweaves four unforgettable tales: (1) The story behind Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, which tells of a woman who must disguise herself as a young man to rescue her husband, who has been unjustly imprisoned by a tyrant; (2) the story of Beethoven’s own physical and spiritual struggle to create the opera in the face of his impending total deafness; (3) the story of the brilliant Chilean composer Jorge Peña Hen, who was imprisoned by Pinochet and wrote his final work from his cell, using only doused matchsticks and scraps of paper; and (4) the contemporary tale of Hen’s granddaughter, the dancer Maria Belen Espinosa Peña, who, like Fidelio, dresses like a man—in this case, her grandfather—in an extraordinary performance designed to rescue his legacy from the confines of forgetfulness.

During the Chilean dictatorship, the loved ones of the Disappeared would take to the streets with signs depicting their lost family members and the words “Se me olvidaste?”—have you forgotten me? With Love & Justice, our filmmaking team, led by Director Kerry Candaele, is paying tribute to those rare souls—the Beethovens and Fidelios and Maria Belens—who, with bravery, grace and the power of art, dare to say that, no, we will never forget.
Love & Justice is the second part of Kerry’s trilogy, Beethoven | Hero. The first part, Following the Ninth: In the Footsteps of Beethoven’s Final Symphony, has screened in more than 250 cities around the world, from Berlin to Manhattan to Beverly Hills, introducing audiences to the enduring global impact of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. We are now halfway finished with Love & Justice and have created a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to help us complete the film. Please visit the site, take a look at our essays, trailers, reviews and rewards, and consider making a contribution at any level—the opportunities start at just a dollar. Many thanks for your support! We are eager to complete this exciting project and bring it to your city.

– Greg Blake Miller