Brother of Sleep is a visually stunning and dramatically absorbing portrait of a tormented nineteenth-century musical genius. Based on the bestselling novel by Austrian Robert Schneider, the story begins with the birth of Elias in Eschberg, a remote Alpine village. He exhibits unusual hearing powers as a boy and feels deeply connected to the natural world. However, these intuitive and creative gifts make him an outcast in the superstitious, violent, and bigoted community. It doesn't help that he is the illegitimate son of the village priest.
Struggling to express his passion for music, Elias (Andre Eisermann) learns how to play the church organ and to compose his own music. The two people who are most drawn to him are Peter (Ben Becker) and his sister Elsbeth (Dana Vavrova). In the end, not even their love can keep him grounded to earth. In a contest held in town, Elias shares with the world his otherworldly music. Brother of Sleep, directed by Joseph Vilsmaier, presents a memorable exploration of the myth of the troubled artistic genius who is ahead of his time.