“The Yellow Tie”, the film about the life of legendary conductor Sergiu Celibidache, enchants London at its gala premiere — in cinemas from 9 October

The film “The Yellow Tie”, which tells the extraordinary life of the conductor Sergiu Celibidache, one of the most brilliant and most controversial figures of 20th-century classical music, was received with a glittering gala night at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, as Live for Films reports. On the evening of 30 September, the traditional red carpet was replaced by a sparkling yellow carpet, while the 800-seat hall was completely filled to celebrate a story that, according to the outlet, speaks far beyond the world of classical music.

Walking the yellow carpet were the film’s stars: BAFTA winner Sean Bean, two-time Oscar nominee Miranda Richardson, Ben Schnetzer, who plays the young conductor, and Kate Phillips. With them were also big names of classical music, among them cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, pianist Stephen Hough, guitarist Miloš Karadaglić and soprano Camilla Kerslake, as Live for Films writes.

The film is directed by Serge Ioan Celebidachi, the maestro’s own son, who wrote the screenplay together with James Olivier. John Malkovich plays Celibidache in the later years of his life, while Schnetzer brings his younger version to life. The story follows the path of the Romanian boy who was forced to flee his homeland, suffered in war-destroyed Berlin and rose, against all odds, to the post of the youngest chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic — without ever compromising his artistic integrity, even refusing to make studio recordings.

The film’s international success began in Romania, where “The Yellow Tie”, according to the outlet, became a true box-office phenomenon — the second most watched after the “Avatar” sequel — and swept the Gopo awards ceremony with 8 trophies, among them Best Actor for Ben Schnetzer and the Audience Award. At the Santa Barbara International Film Festival too, the organisers were forced to add extra screenings in the face of great demand, Live for Films reports. After the London premiere, the film opens in cinemas across the United Kingdom and Ireland on 9 October 2026.