Bernstein's Wall

<p><img src="https://data.ajff.org/sites/default/files/2022-01/web_embed_Laurel_JuryInCompetition_02.png" style="max-width: 20%; width: 20%; border-width: 0px; margin-left: 10px; float: right;" />With electrifying energy and sweeping grandeur, this galvanizing profile of composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein channels, in his own words, the famed maestro’s musical gifts and cultural impact. Born to Russian-Jewish immigrants, he led the New York Philharmonic and became a household name thanks to Broadway’s <em>West Side Story</em> and TV appearances that exposed classical music to the masses. His ardent commitment to social causes and political change matched his passion for all things symphonic. Harvesting media interviews, and private letters and photos, director Douglas Tirola presents an artist and devoted family man unstrung by issues of ambition, religion and sexuality, while upholding the arts as a vehicle for freedom and equality, peace and unity.