Wagner & Me, running just under 90-minutes, is a fascinating study of Wagner and his influence on thousands around the world. He could be heralded as one of the first musical superstars, with legions of fans usually referred to as Wagnerians or Wagnerites. British actor, writer and satirist Stephen Fry is one of this legion of fans and is the narrator and on-screen guide of Wagner & Me. A self-proclaimed Richard Wagner nut, his infectious childhood-giddiness for the composer and his music admittedly reaches euphoric peaks of fandom fanaticism.

But Fry is also Jewish and lost family members during the Holocaust and struggles with Wagner’s historical association with anti-Semitism and Nazism. You are forced to ask how it can be that Fry, and others, can separate their passion for the man and his music from the dark context of his beliefs? It’s a perplexing problem for Fry but he endeavors to find peace with this dichotomy as he takes us on a journey through Europe discovering the rich and complex history of one of the greatest and most iconic composers of all time. Perhaps it was best summed up by Martin Hoyle, writing about Wagner and Me in the Financial Times, "Even those allergic to the music will be riveted by Fry’s love for the art, ambivalence for the creator, and loathing of the Nazi associations."

Wagner & Me was directed by Patrick McGrady and is a UK-Switzerland-Russia-Germany co-production. It will screen from September 21 - 27 at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.