Vitus Takes Flight

Posted on April 24, 2017

Fabrizio Borsani (Vitus-age 6) and Bruno Ganz (Grandfather); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

Written by

Jude Bautista

Vitus (Fabrizio Borsani) at age 6 resented having a babysitter. Isabelle (Kristina Lykowa) was barely just a child at 12. His mom Helen (Julika Jenkins) told her to let him practice the piano by himself. Seeing her he just passes his hand through the keys and ignores her on his way to his room to read. Isabelle follows him to his bedroom. “Did you know I made this bat for you when you were just a baby?” then pointing to his favorite toy. “Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?” Vitus shakes his head and says ‘No’ with a beaming smile she says, “I want to be a rock singer!”

Kristina Lykowa (Isabel-age 12); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

Next thing you know, Vitus is playing the piano while Isabelle is lip syncing to a song blaring on the radio. When parents Leo (Urs Jucker) and Helen come home, they see them asleep in each other’s arms on the sofa. The next day Vitus tells his grandfather (Bruno Ganz), “I know who I’m going to marry.”

Fabrizio Borsani (Vitus-age 6) and Kristina Lykowa (Isabel-age 12); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

VITUS is only one of several movies that will be shown in the Swiss Family Film Festival at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall for free on a first come first served basis. The fest will be held on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60^th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

It has won Best Feature from the Chicago international Film Festival and Best Picture in the Swiss Film Prize for Writer Director Fredi M. Muhrer.

from left: Swiss Amb. Andrea Reichlin and Shang Rila Plaza Mktg Div Head Marline Concio-Dualan. Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

Vitus is a child prodigy with an IQ of 180 and being able to play Bach as a toddler. He was bored in school, often too advanced for the curriculum. Even when he was accelerated joining college at 14, he was reading a newspaper in the middle of class. His professor asked him to solve a math problem, computing bank interest earnings. Vitus solved it twice as fast as his classmates who used calculators.

Teo Gheorghiu (Vitus-age 12) antagonized even his teachers. Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

The problem wasn’t his intelligence but rather his emotional quotient. People around him like classmates, older students tend to hate and bully him. Although he did love music and the piano there was this growing pressure to live up to his potential. There was this need in him to be a normal everyday kid who just wants to play and be with others his own age. Little do they know, Vitus’ talents and abilities go much farther and wider than just being a piano prodigy.

Left-Teo Gheorghiu (Vitus-age 12) enjoyed being w kids his own age. Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

All children can relate with Vitus, while education and developing his talent is important, love, affection and understanding can be more uplifting. This is where his grandfather played by Bruno Ganz, has had a tremendous influence on him. He is the one who nurtures a sense of adventure and the creative side in the child.

Watch HEIDI for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

A cabinetmaker by profession, he never fails to bring flowers to Vitus’ pretty mom Helen. He loves to play chess with his grandson and has shared his obsession with planes and becoming a pilot. In fact he wrote love letters to his late wife by tying them to a balloon and has Vitus release them to the sky. “I used to write love letters to Anne Marie, now I write to the beautiful woman who sits across from me in the train, the glistening lake, the peach tree that gives me shade and the lovely figure skater on TV.”

Bruno Ganz (Grandfather) and Teo Gheorghiu (Vitus-age 12); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

Bruno Ganz is one of the most established Swiss actors, having starred in countless roles from UNKNOWN with Liam Neeson in 2011 to playing Adolf Hitler in DOWNFALL (2005). One of Ganz’ most recent hit (also as the grandfather) is HEIDI (2015) which is part of the Swiss Family Film Festival. This live action film from the classic Swiss novel written by Johanna Spyri is sure to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Watch HEIDI and RASCALS ON THE ROAD for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

Playing the 12-year-old Vitus is real life piano prodigy Teo Gheorghiu. For his performance he won Best Male Debut from the Undine Awards in Austria. Gheorghiu, looks like a young Christian Bale in the film EMPIRE OF THE SUN. These days he has concentrated more on his music than his acting career.

Teo Gheorghiu (Vitus-age 12); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

Since starring in the film Gheorghiu has truly become an international classical artist. He has played in ‘London (Queen Elisabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Centre, Royal Albert Hall), New York, Paris, Tokyo, Zurich, St Petersburg, Madrid and Prague. He has performed with orchestras including Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Bern Symphonie Orchester, Sinfonica de Bilbao, Orquestra Filamonica de Minas Gerais, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Müncher Symphoniker.’ From official website.

Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

One of the elements that make this film great is its ability to open classical music to a wider audience. When you see a brilliant 12 year old execute Mozart’s ‘Rondo a-Moll KV 511’ or Franz Liszt’s ‘Ungarische Rhapsodie Nr. 6’. There’s no denying the power and emotion of the music especially when he’s playing it with passion and love, which he had to journey so he could discover it himself.

Julika Jenkins (Helen); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

Those who are already fans of classical music will enjoy them even more: ‘Der wilde Reiter’ by Robert Schumann, ‘Alborada del gracioso’ by Maurice Ravel, ‘Goldberg Variationen (29, 30, Aria)’ by Bach and the list goes on. Incidentally, the rock song Isabelle lip-synced from the radio that made Vitus fall in love with her is a Tina Turner original entitled ‘Nutbush City Limits’.

In a way Gheorghiu has fulfilled his film character’s ambition in real life by becoming the international classical artist that he is today. VITUS should be viewed by anyone at any age, so you can be inspired to pursue your dreams in your own way.

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Parents Urs Jucker (Leo) and Julika Jenkins (Helen); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

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Fabrizio Borsani (Vitus-age 6); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

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center – Urs Jucker (Leo) Julika Jenkins (Helen); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

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Tamara Scarpellini (Isabel-age 19); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

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Julika Jenkins (Helen) and Teo Gheorghiu (Vitus-age 12). Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

Heidy Forster (Gina Fois); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

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Bruno Ganz (Grandfather); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

from left: Teo Gheorghiu (Vitus-age 12) and Bruno Ganz (Grandfather); Watch VITUS for free in the Swiss Family Film Fest, Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall on the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017. The festival is part of the 60th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Philippines.

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