Synopsis

In 1911, to mark the centenary of Liszt’s birth, a Budapest theatre is preparing for the premiere of a play about the composer’s final days. Suddenly, a mysterious woman appears at one of the rehearsals, asserting that the play does not correspond to reality, and that Liszt did not die in the manner known from various novels and recollections. The actors want to learn the truth, and so the woman reveals the painfully beautiful relationship between Liszt and one of his last students, Lina Schmalhausen, which lasted from the middle of the 1870s to his death. *The Last Rhapsody*, made in Hungarian-French co-production to crown the Liszt Year, recalls the final days of Liszt.

Director

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  • Kiyongyoshi Benche
  • Born in Budapest in 1963, he began studying at the University of Munich in 1980. From 1983, he studied Communication/Drama at Ludwig Maximilian University and later majored in directing at the Munich Film/Television School. Since 1983, he has worked in various fields including direction, production, editing, and cinematography.