Britten's Children

Children and childhood fascinated Britten throughout his life and inspired some of his greatest music. John Bridcut’s compelling film sheds light on the composer’s own inner child through interviews with several of Britten’s former companions and muses, including his ‘Young Apollo’, Wulff Scherchen, and David Hemmings, the first boy to play Miles in The Turn of the Screw. It was broadcasted on BBC in 2004 and due to demand was repeated many times. Specifically the documentary looks at Britten’s controversial relationship with children, including interviews with the three main boys that he was close to. There is also a book that was written to accompany the original broadcast of the film that was published by Faber and Faber. This DVD release is due to high public demand. It won numerous awards, including the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Creative Communication Award 2004 and was a runner-up for the Grierson Award for Best Arts Documentary 2005. Libby Purves from The Times refers to it as ‘A brave and beautiful film... It not only illuminates Britten himself, but throws much-needed light on to a subject of excruciating delicacy.’

Price: $19.98