Over ten years ago, director Scott Hicks saw an small article in the newspaper announcing a concert appearance by pianist David Helfgott. The rest, as they say, is history. ΓÇ£I felt it was something really important and that I had to go and see himΓÇ¥ explains Hicks, so he canceled plans to celebrate his wifeΓÇÖs birthday and headed for the show. ΓÇ£I wasnΓÇÖt quite sure what to expect, but when David sat down to playΓÇ¥, continued Hicks, ΓÇ£he quite simply transported the room. I was utterly captivated.ΓÇ¥
After the show, Hicks felt compelled to go backstage to meet Helfgott and his wife, and told them he was a filmmaker and would love to make a film based on DavidΓÇÖs life. "They, of course, said ΓÇÿwho the hell are you?ΓÇÖΓÇ¥ remembers Hicks. It took Hicks over a year, after that rocky first encounter, to gain enough goodwill and trust from the Helfgotts to get them to agree to allow him to pursue his quest. Hicks describes his vision of the movie as, ΓÇ£A story about a winner, an unlikely hero who achieves the one thing we all desire: he finds his own place in the world, and someone with whom to share love, life and music. His story is very uplifting and compelling.ΓÇ¥
