Carlos Kleiber: I am Lost to the World

Austrian classical conductor Carlos Kleiber (1930-2004) was as eccentric and reclusive as he was brilliant, persistently and obstreperously declining to participate in the international music community or business. This set him apart from his more public contemporaries, such as Herbert von Karajan. This biographical documentary attempts to resolve the ambiguities surrounding Kleiber. The product of exhaustive research, it features rare performance footage of Kleiber leading orchestras, and draws on interviews with individuals who knew and worked with the maestro, including Otto Schenk, Riccardo Muti, Michael Gielen and Ioan Holdender. Carlos Kleiber also turns up to conduct a series of illustrative musical excerpts.

Directed by Georg Wübbolt, Carlos Kleiber: I am Lost to the World leans on a strong ensemble — Carlos Kleiber, Ileana Cotrubas, Michael Gielen — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2011.