The legend of the White Piano

Guy Pelletier

Director(s): Guy Pelletier and Pierre Bündock

"La légende du Piano Blanc"

(The legend of the White Piano / La leyenda del Piano Blanco)

"A musical poem about loss and reunification."

In 1939, Franz Erlich, a widowed Berlin pianist, is forced to abandon his beloved daughter, Marion, to go to war. As many other german soldiers during WWII, Franz will be captured and transported to a concentration camp in the canadian province of Quebec. Franz will try an illusory escape and die in the canadian forest near a village called “St-Paulin”. For years, the inhabitants of St-Paulin will hear, from time to time, the music of the White Piano coming from the depths of the forest. The Legend of the White Piano is born. Many years later a now elderly Marion wakes up from a dream and decides do go to Canada looking for traces of her long gone father.

About the sound and the music of the film:

A film without audio dialogues. Only "cartons" like old silent films. "Cartons" are mostly in french. Other written information appears which is in english and in german. All is subtitled in both english and spanish. 

The music of this film was first composed inspired by the scenario. All piano performance was recorded on midi keyboard. The performances were then structured as a "music storyboard". The film was then shot following the "music storyboard". All audio post-production was done with midi files being further edited and streamlined. At the very end of the mix, Midi files were rendered with Moddart Pianoteq Virtual Piano.

About directors Guy Pelletier and Pierre Bündock:

French Canadian artist making films and music for over thirty years, Pierre Bundock has been making films with Emmy Award winning sound and music editor Guy Pelletier since 2011. Their film about artist-sculptor Marie-Josée Roy "In her Blacksmith Eye" ("En el ojo de la Herrera") won many Prizes including "MENCIÒN HONORIFICA "CORTOMETRAJE INTERNACIONAL" at the 2013 Oaxaca Film Festival. Their latest film "The Legend of the White Piano" ("La leyenda del Piano Blanco" ) is their first collaboration with improvisational pianist and scientific journalist Michel Rochon.