Passion is the story of this twentieth century maverick and the intense relationship with his mother, Rose. Interwoven is Percy's musical odyssey which spans his world-famous virtuoso playing of great works, his immensely popular arrangements of such hits as Danny Boy and 'English' Country Gardens and his own ahead-of-their-time compositions.

Passion takes us from the Australian rural countryside of Percy's birth and upbringing, to England where the Graingers lived for many years before the First World War, before settling in America.

As the story unfolds on a year in the genius's life, it shows Percy's tormented struggle between perfoming the works of other composers in recticals before Queen Alexandra and London society - fuelled by the need to maintain a well-to-do lifestyle - and his real love of freestyle composing.

We see Percy in a variety of guises - as a mischievous larrikin, as a nature-lover, as a friend, as a benefactor's protege, and as a son. And we see the draker side of his genius - self-flagellation.

Woven throughout is the backbone of Passion's story - the intense mother-son relationship. It is a profound love - not incestuous, but a love people are only too quick to judge.

When beautiful Danish pianist Karen Holten becomes his student we see Rose both fearful of losing him, and hopeful that love may end his self-flagellation sessions. But as karen falls in love with her unconventional teacher, Percy finds himself torn. Karen offers herself up as both his musical champion - and his sado-masochistic partner.

Here, in this complex triangle, Percy believes he must make a choice - or face the potentially explosive consequences of asking Karen to accept that Rose will always be the major focus of his life.

A film by Peter Duncan. Casts include Richard Roxburgh, Barbara Hershey, and Emily Woof. Awards: Autralian Cinematographers Society Award of Distinction - Feature Productions Cinema, Australian Film Institute - AFI Award - Best Achievement in Cinematography, Australian Film Institute - AFI - Best Achivement in Costume Design, Australian Film Institute - AFI Award - Best Achievement in Production Design. Nominated: Australia Film Institute - AFI Award - Best Achievement in Sound, Australian Film Institute - AFI Award - Best Perfomance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Australian Film Institute - AFI Award - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role