In the 1920s and 30s, Russian emigre Leonard Theremin -- the inventor of the worlds first electronic musical instrument -- had it all. His self-named theremins were in high demand from filmmakers and musicians around the globe; he was married to a beautiful American dancer; he lived among New Yorks social elite. And then, in 1938, he mysteriously vanished, not to be seen again for over 50 years.

A documentary about the inventor of one of the first electronic instruments, the eponymous theremin (the sound of which quickly became cliched in science fiction films as the accompaniment to shots of flying saucers). The instrument produced its unusual sounds by using the player's hands to control the signals of an electromagnetic field. Its Russian-born inventor, Leon Theremin, went from playing his instrument for Lenin to breaking into show business in New York. Kidnapped by the K.G.B. in the late 1930s, Theremin was spirited back to the Soviet Union and forced to work on more espionage-related technology. The film reunites the inventor with his thereminist-protégée, Clara Rockmore, before his death in 1993. Winner of the Filmmaker's Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival.