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Love, Art and Resilience: The Story of Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad Composed in AMERICAN SYMPHONY


Photo Courtesy of NETFLIX

"What we love about music is not that it sounds good.

What we love about music is that it sounds inevitable"

—Jon Batiste


In early 2022, Jon Batiste stands at the pinnacle of his career, earning eleven GRAMMY® nominations, including Album of the Year. While composing American Symphony, an ambitious orchestral work that reimagines classical traditions through a diverse musical lens, Batiste is hit with life-altering news: his partner, author Suleika Jaouad, faces a recurrence of her long-dormant cancer. Academy Award-nominated director Matthew Heineman captures their intertwined journeys in the GRAMMY®-nominated American Symphony, a deeply intimate exploration of art, love, and survival in the face of uncertainty.

 

Through hauntingly beautiful footage, Heineman contrasts Batiste’s creative process with Jaouad’s relentless fight for life. As Batiste builds a groundbreaking symphony for Carnegie Hall, Jaouad’s strength becomes his most profound inspiration. The film weaves together music, vulnerability, and defiance, showcasing how creativity can transform even the darkest moments.

 

Five-time GRAMMY® winner and 22-time GRAMMY® nominee, Jon Batiste, a multi-instrumentalist and composer, has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Soul. Suleika Jaouad, a New York Times bestselling author and advocate, has inspired millions with her memoir Between Two Kingdoms and her acclaimed Emmy Award-winning New York Times column Life, Interrupted. Director Matthew Heineman is an Academy Award®-nominated, six-time Emmy Award®-winning, and two-time DGA Award winning-filmmaker. The Sundance Film Festival called Heineman “one of the most talented and exciting documentary filmmakers working today.” Known for A Private War, Cartel Land and The First Wave, Heineman brings his signature blend of fearless storytelling and emotional depth, crafting a cinematic masterpiece that resonates long after the final note.

 

Read more about American Symphony here.


Available for streaming on NETFLIX



REVIEWS


A moving love story. A celebration of art, resilience and the mutability of the human spirit."

– Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter  

 

"A moving ode to love, creativity and the art of survival.”

– David Fear, Rolling Stone

 

“A home run from Director Matthew Heineman.”

– Clayton Davis, Variety

 

“JOYFUL AND EMOTIONALLY RESONANT.”

– Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter



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