Michel Petrucciani (2011)

• 21% want to see it
  (18 ratings)

Michel Petrucciani was born in France in 1962, and emerged from the womb with a rare disease, osteogenesis imperfecta (known to laymen as "glass bone disease"), which made his bones unusually brittle and retarded his grown, preventing him from ever reaching a height over three feet. But… More Michel Petrucciani was born in France in 1962, and emerged from the womb with a rare disease, osteogenesis imperfecta (known to laymen as "glass bone disease"), which made his bones unusually brittle and retarded his grown, preventing him from ever reaching a height over three feet. But despite the limitations of his body, Petrucciani developed a great passion for music, and he began studying the piano as a child under the direction of his father, a jazz aficionado and writer. By the time he was 13, Petrucciani was an accomplished pianist; by 18, he was a celebrity in European jazz circles with a few albums under his belt when he traveled to the United States with the help of a friend. Petrucciani was befriended by the great jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, who came out of retirement to perform with the diminutive Frenchman, and before long Petrucciani became the first European artist to sign with the prestigious jazz label Blue Note Records. Despite his short stature and fragile body, Petrucciani became a star and a legend on the jazz circuit, albeit one with appetites that would challenge a much stronger man. Filmmaker Michael Radford examines the remarkable true story of an artist who defied the odds during his short but eventful life in the documentary Michel Petrucciani, which includes extensive performance footage of the pianist as well as interviews with his friends, family, and colleagues. It was director Radford's first full length documentary since Van Morrison In Ireland, released in 1980. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer