Ethan Hawke, obviously best known for his onscreen work (including the recent “Boyhood”), is expanding his repertoire as a director. “The Hottest State” director’s first documentary, “Seymour: An Introduction,” premiered at the Telluride Film Festival this year and continues its festival circuit with screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend.
Not to be confused with the J.D. Salinger story of the same name first published in 1959, the film chronicles the life of pianist and Manhattanite Seymour Bernstein. Here’s the synopsis:
Seymour Bernstein started playing the piano as a little boy, and by the time he turned 15 he was teaching it to others. He enjoyed a long and illustrious career of concertizing before he gave it up to devote himself to helping others develop their own gifts. Ethan Hawke’s lovely film is a warm and lucid portrait of Bernstein—his work habits; his memories of learning the piano with Clara Husserl; his army stint during the Korean War; his sharp observations about his fellow pianists; his interactions with his students and conversations with friends; his preparations for a private concert. But it’s also a film about the patience, concentration, and devotion that are fundamental to the practice of art and life. Seymour: An Introduction allows us to spend time with a generous human being who has found balance and harmony within himself.
Though Hawke appears in the film (and in the clip), he remains largely behind the lens. Sundance Selects bought the film last month and will distribute, but no release date has been set just yet.