"Beethoven Forgery" Schindler and Beethoven's "Fateful" Encounter - Full Footage Released

The main footage of the film "Beethoven Fabrication" (directed by Seki Kazuaki, scheduled for release on September 12th), written by comedian Bakarhythm and starring actor Yuki Yamada, has been released. The approximately four-minute footage captures the "fateful" encounter between Schindler, played by Yamada, and Beethoven, played by Furuta Arata.

This live-action film is based on Shiho Kagehara's historical non-fiction book "Beethoven Fabrication: A Famous Producer Lies" (published by Kawade Bunko). The film focuses on the scandal surrounding the alteration of Beethoven's phrasebook by Schindler, who served as Beethoven's secretary and wrote his posthumous biography.

Schindler was a university student with a promising future as an elite. However, he was arrested for being too involved in student activism, and now he makes a living as a violinist. One day, at a party he attends, he sees Beethoven, whom he had admired since childhood. As a fan, Schindler's heart beats fast, but the real Beethoven is the complete opposite of his profound music. Schindler had imagined a tall, dandy figure, but the man he sees is, as he puts it, a "small, scruffy middle-aged man."

Schindler's face was clearly disappointed, but then he thought to himself, "Who would have thought that such a filthy old man could have produced so many wonderful masterpieces!" and approached Beethoven with a big smile. He called out to him from behind, but Beethoven ignored him. "They won't even look at me, a complete stranger... What's with this guy, acting like he's such a big shot!" "I'll spread rumors about you!" Schindler thought to himself.

As Schindler was about to leave with his shoulders slumped, a theater staff member called out to him, and Beethoven noticed him and handed him the phrasebook he was holding with a friendly smile, asking, "Can you write in this?" Schindler then remembered that Beethoven had ear problems, and wrote in the phrasebook, "I've been a big fan of yours since I was a student," expressing his passionate feelings.

Beethoven smiles and happily asks Schindler for a handshake, saying, "Wow, thank you!". Moved by the "divine response" from his idol, Schindler exchanges a warm handshake. "He was a little slippery, but... I was happy!!" he says in a monologue, "I was captivated by him, as if under a spell."

Beethoven then invites Schindler to become his secretary. Beethoven has zero sense of distance, inviting a fan he's just met to become his secretary. Schindler takes this seriously and immediately replies, "Of course!" Schindler's emotional ups and downs after seeing Beethoven are intense, and he is endearing in the way he innocently expresses his feelings for his idol, while Beethoven is a world-famous musician yet is also easygoing. The scene of this "fateful" encounter, which led to the biggest fabrication (scandal) in music history that continues to this day, is depicted with Bakarhythm's unique, hilarious lines.

This film was shot using cutting-edge virtual production technology, with a 3D CG background displayed on a large LED display and the subject filmed in front of it. This recreates the world of 19th century Vienna without leaving Japan. Furthermore, Beethoven's masterpieces are used throughout the film. The realistic images and Beethoven's masterpieces, combined with the unique sound of a cinema, provide a new cinematic experience that can be enjoyed by both the eyes and the ears.