You Cannot Start Without Me: Valery Gergiev, Maestro

In the Netherlands, Valery Gergiev is known principally as the head conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held from 1995 to 2008. But Gergiev has many more strings to his bow. In addition to having directed all the big symphony orchestras in the world -- he has been in charge of the London Symphony Orchestra since 2007 -- this fervent custodian of Russia's musical heritage has been the artistic and general director of the legendary Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg since 1988, where he is responsible for the talent and job security of 2,000 employees and 800 artists. Gergiev, who conducts a concert almost every day of the year, manages to keep all of these balls in the air thanks to his unrestrained love of work and travel ("I can work twice as hard") and a management style that tolerates no contradiction ("You cannot start without me"). Musicians worship him for his perfect pitch, the Russian Finance Minister loves to receive him, and sometimes he can even spare some time for his children. Gergiev gives the camera free reign, which results in a wide-ranging portrait of this workaholic. The filmmakers devote a lot of the film to the music; in other words, the swan is given time to die. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)