Hephzibah | Encounters Mega Archive/Library
Awards (click to collapse)

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), The Netherlands (1998) – Winner: Silver Wolf

Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, Australia (1999) – Winner: Best Documentary

Australian Film Institute, Australia (1999) – Winner: Best Documentary; Best Editing in a Non-Feature Film

Australian Film Institute, Australia (1999) – Nominated: Best Direction in a Documentary

Feature
International

2003

hephzibah-poster Poster
Film Poster

The conflicting passions of Hephzibah Menuhin’s remarkable life are laid bare in this insightful portrayal of an unacknowledged musical genius. Hephzibah toured the world giving concerts with her celebrated brother Yehudi before marrying an Australian sheep farmer at 18. Her eloquent letters, illustrated by home and archive footage, and interviews with family members, narrate her progress from a young bride, bursting with received notions of love, to an ardent feminist whose crusade for social justice drives her to London and into the arms of a Viennese sociologist. In the end, it is a tragic triumph. Hephzibah’s health buckles under the weight of insupportable ideals just as her musical ability reaches its apogee. A poignant and profound portrait of a musical prodigy sacrificed on the wrong altar.

Courtesy of the Director.

Previous Festivals

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), The Netherlands (1998)