What will you endure?
About the Trilogy
250 years after his birth, Beethoven's music still ignites the human spirit
Since its premiere in Vienna in 1824, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has been performed at moments of great historical change — from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the protests in Tiananmen Square, from the struggle against apartheid in South Africa to the fight for democracy in Chile.
Journalist and author Kerry Candaele spent years traveling the world, discovering the remarkable stories of people who found courage, solace, and inspiration in Beethoven's music. The Beethoven Hero trilogy brings these stories to the screen in three films that span continents, centuries, and the full range of human emotion.
From the universal joy of the Ninth Symphony to the radical intimacy of the late string quartets, this trilogy explores what it means to endure — and what music can give us when all else is taken away.
Kerry Candaele
Director & Writer
The Trilogy
Three films. Three facets of genius.
Beethoven and the World in 2009
Following the Ninth
From Tiananmen Square to the fall of the Berlin Wall, from a Chilean political prison to the streets of Soweto, this documentary tracks the extraordinary ways Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has been adopted by freedom movements across the globe. Following journalist and author Kerry Candaele across four continents, the film reveals the power of music to inspire hope and resistance in the face of oppression.
Learn More →
Beethoven in Chile
Love and Justice
In Pinochet's Chile, political prisoners sustained themselves by singing the "Ode to Joy" chorus from Beethoven's Ninth. Love and Justice returns to Chile to explore how Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio — a story of a woman who risks everything to free her unjustly imprisoned husband — resonates with those who lived through dictatorship, torture, and the long struggle for justice.
Learn More →
The Late String Quartets
Last Will & Testament
The final chapter of the trilogy turns inward, exploring the late string quartets that Beethoven composed in the last years of his life — music so radical and intimate that it baffled his contemporaries but has come to be regarded as among the greatest achievements in Western art. How do performers and listeners today grapple with music that pushes the boundaries of human expression?
Learn More →"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy."— Ludwig van Beethoven
What They're Saying
"The film is beautiful and powerful. Its affirming message could help address destructive dynamics."— Bill Moyers
"Each anecdote builds upon the next to create that rarest of films: a documentary as ineffable and transformative as it sets out to be."— The Village Voice
"Thrilling, smartly assembled and gracefully paced."— The New York Times
"Following the Ninth succeeds as brilliant filmmaking beyond its important storytelling."— Santa Barbara Independent
"Unique and beautiful piece! I think Beethoven would have appreciated what you did."— Jan Swafford, author of "Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph"
Get Involved
Help bring these stories to the world
The Beethoven Hero trilogy is an independent production. Your support helps us complete the final film in the trilogy, bring all three films to festivals and theaters worldwide, and share the inspiring stories of people who found hope in Beethoven's music.