Following over a year of rave reviews and prestigious awards at film festivals worldwide, this week the short film “Crescendo” attracted attention thanks to a release on YouTube for free viewing (above).
Based on the true story of Ludwig van Beethoven, “Crescendo” touches on issues ripped from today’s headlines—notably, sex trafficking, rape and the prevalence of chemical abortion.
The introspective, dream-like visual style of writer/director Alfonso Alvarez Barreda draws viewers into this 15-minute drama, in a vein similar to the feature-length film “Bella” (2006), which caught the eye of many mainstream filmgoers during its release.
It’s no wonder that Eduardo Verástegui, producer and star in “Bella,” served as producer on “Crescendo.” Formerly a model and music star in Mexico, he rediscovered his faith and launched Metanoia Films 10 years ago.
Verástegui isn’t the only name associated with the picture who has a story to tell. MTV announced the film’s YouTube release thanks to the involvement of Pattie Mallette as executive producer.
The mother of pop star Justin Bieber, she was advised during her pregnancy to abort her pre-born son due to her age and circumstances. Instead, she turned to a local crisis pregnancy center.
Mallette shared her story with the Wall Street Journal, an interview which mentions “Crescendo” and her memoir “Nowhere But Up.”
Crescendo is also a very personal project for co-producer Jason Jones, founder of Movie to Movement, who orchestrated the film’s marketing and promotional roll-out.
A recent interview notes:
Jones was just 17 when his pregnant girlfriend’s father, who discovered her secret when she tried to get prescription vitamins, forced her to abort her baby girl. ‘Crescendo’ is dedicated to Jessica Jones [his pre-born daughter lost to abortion], who would have been 23 at the time of the film’s release.
The short film has currently raised nearly $6 million to benefit pregnancy care centers.
