Agnieszka Holland has long been known for translating classical/historical material into pop-culture matter (in "Total Eclipse," for instance, she cast Leonardo di Caprio as a punkish Arthur Rimbaud) and her latest, "Copying Beethoven," is a fictional biopic of the famed composer during the last years of his life.
"I've always tried to reach a wide audience," said Holland in an interview during the Tokyo International Film Festival. "And I wanted this film to appeal to people who had never heard of Beethoven, much less the Ninth Symphony."
As director who works with both European and Hollywood actors, Holland says the name Ed Harris flashed into her mind the minute the project was under way.