The movie
Music Film Festival: De Matthäus Missie van Reinbert de Leeuw
Filmmaker Cherry Duyns follows pianist and composer Reinbert de Leeuw—who had done everything, except Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Interview with Cherry Duyns.
Length: 75 min
Country: Nederland
Language spoken: Nederlands
Language subtitles:
Cast:
Director: Reinbert de Leeuw
Release date: 20/09/2025
Description
Filmmaker Cherry Duyns follows pianist and composer Reinbert de Leeuw—who had done everything, except Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Interview with Cherry Duyns.
What drives an artist, at the end of his career, to give himself completely one final time to a musical monument? In this moving documentary, director Cherry Duyns follows the legendary Reinbert de Leeuw—pianist, composer, and conductor—on his obsessive and heartfelt journey into the soul of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.
After a lifetime devoted to modern music, De Leeuw turns to Bach with all-consuming dedication. He lives and breathes the Matthew, dreams about it. “If I could spend the rest of my life working only on the Matthew, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
Together with Holland Baroque, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, and a young, international cast of soloists, he works toward a deeply emotional performance at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. What unfolds is a cinematic experience full of musical passion, intergenerational connection, and a search for meaning at the end of life.
A must-see for lovers of music, film, and stories that resonate deeply. Returning to the big screen after many years.
Be swept away by Reinbert de Leeuw’s ultimate masterwork—a film that echoes long after the final note.
After the screening, the now 81-year-old Cherry Duyns will be interviewed by Dutch documentary filmmaker Hans Dortmans (Divine Pig, Eel Dance).
What drives an artist, at the end of his career, to give himself completely one final time to a musical monument? In this moving documentary, director Cherry Duyns follows the legendary Reinbert de Leeuw—pianist, composer, and conductor—on his obsessive and heartfelt journey into the soul of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.
After a lifetime devoted to modern music, De Leeuw turns to Bach with all-consuming dedication. He lives and breathes the Matthew, dreams about it. “If I could spend the rest of my life working only on the Matthew, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
Together with Holland Baroque, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, and a young, international cast of soloists, he works toward a deeply emotional performance at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. What unfolds is a cinematic experience full of musical passion, intergenerational connection, and a search for meaning at the end of life.
A must-see for lovers of music, film, and stories that resonate deeply. Returning to the big screen after many years.
Be swept away by Reinbert de Leeuw’s ultimate masterwork—a film that echoes long after the final note.
After the screening, the now 81-year-old Cherry Duyns will be interviewed by Dutch documentary filmmaker Hans Dortmans (Divine Pig, Eel Dance).
