Film Screening Theme
“The Rhythm of the Image… Cinema that Inspires Musicians”

As part of the Jesuit Cinema Club’s June program, we invite you to a contemplative exploration of the reciprocal inspiration between cinema and music. How can a film stir a musician’s imagination, or leave an imprint on their way of listening, composing, or even thinking about music itself?

This is not about film scores as a structural element of movies, but rather about what cinema can create when a musician encounters a cinematic image that resonates with something they feel or contemplate—where their creative work intersects with the film, even if on an invisible level.

This intersection may be emotional, aesthetic, or even intellectual, yet it remains a personal experience that opens a door to reflection and interaction between two arts: cinema and music.

In this program, we screen films that explore the lives of musicians or depict facets of their complex relationship with music, raising questions about creativity, genius, and artistic expression.

Following the screening, there will be a discussion with a musical artist, where we will reflect together on how images can touch rhythm, how drama can evoke a melody, or how a filmmaker’s vision might inspire a musician’s next creative path… Cinema can indeed inspire those who make music.

Film: Copying Beethoven

Set in a dramatic framework, this biographical film follows Ludwig van Beethoven in the final years of his life. It focuses on his struggle with illness, particularly his gradual loss of hearing, while he was composing one of his greatest symphonies: the Ninth Symphony.

The film highlights the relationship between Beethoven and Anna Holtz, a young musician working as his copyist. Despite the physical and psychological challenges he faces, Beethoven continues to strive for creativity. Their relationship is marked by tension and conflict, yet it also embodies the power of artistic creation and the sacrifices demanded by great works of art.

Awards & Nominations

• Winner, Best Film – Spanish Film Critics’ Circle at the San Sebastián International Film Festival (2006)

• Nominated, Grand Prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival (2006)

• Nominated, Best European Film – Goya Awards (2007)

• Nominated, Best European Film – Polish Film Awards (2007)

• Nominated, Best Sound Editing in Music – Motion Picture Sound Editors (USA)

• Selected as one of the Top Independent Films of the Year by the National Board of Review (USA)

Film Details

• Genre: Drama – Biographical

• Country: USA

• Language: English (with Arabic subtitles)

• Release Year: 2006

• Duration: 104 minutes

Hosted by Dr. Mohamed Fouad

The film will be introduced and followed by an open discussion facilitated by Dr. Mohamed Fouad, an Egyptian pianist, composer, and psychiatrist. His multidisciplinary background has profoundly influenced his musical style.

In 2015, he formed the artistic duo “Mounib”, with whom he has performed successful concerts worldwide—including in Cairo, Alexandria (Egypt), Lisbon (Portugal), Vienna (Austria), Casablanca, Marrakech (Morocco), and Budva (Montenegro). Their work blends Eastern and Western musical elements in innovative ways. They have also composed scores for several TV dramas and programs.

Admission is free—no registration required

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