Vivaldi Orlando Furioso(2001)

Lucia di Lammermoor(en)

Diana Damrau’s reputation as the world’s leading coloratura soprano has been built on her extraordinary technical virtuosity, her sensitive musicianship and her acute psychological insight. In this DVD of Katie Mitchell’s sometimes radical production of Lucia di Lammermoor from London’s Royal Opera House, she is, as the Financial Times wrote, “brilliantly convincing”. The British award winning director Katie Mitchell – took a revisionist approach to the drama, updating the action to the mid-19th century and applying a feminist slant as she added new and unexpected elements. The Financial Times wrote: “Mitchell shows us on stage personal traumas that a self-respecting woman in the early 19th century was meant to keep to herself. It is a messy, bloody list — nocturnal sex trysts, a knife murder, a miscarriage, a suicide in the bath … In all this Damrau is brilliantly convincing. Her rebellious Lucia is a woman of modern attitudes stuck in a still feudal Victorian world.”

Six: Inside(en)

Delves deep into the anxiety, thrill and uncertainty of six aspiring animation artists as they are plunged into the twelve-week trial-by-fire that is the NFB's Hothouse for animation filmmakers.

The Raven(en)

As a child, Lenore was tormented by nightmares and obsessed with the dark poems and stories of Edgar Allan Poe. As the lead singer in a Los Angeles band, the adult Lenore (Jillian Swanson) finds herself, friends and colleagues haunted by a murderer from beyond the grave. Only in her dreams -- in which she's visited by Poe's ghost -- will Lenore find the key to defeat her supernatural stalker and finally escape the spirits battling for her soul.

The Town I Live In(en)

In L.A.’s Boyle Heights neighborhood, local activists and members of the art community clash over the fate of a beloved neighborhood.

Isang Araw Walang Diyos(tl)

A cult called Wakwak headed by Papa Mundo is ready to kill and be killed to fight for their beliefs. It is a religious battle for their leader, clad in priest's robes, who they believe has supernatural powers to extinguish life out of anyone. Outnumbered, Lt. Cary Altamonte's group fights for the safety of the civilians. The situation unfolds in a battle of faith.

A Game for Evelyn(it)

A couple having marital problems goes on holiday around Corsica. At their vacation home they're haunted by disturbing ghostly visions of a young girl.

Sea Spiders(en)

A look at the everyday life of Tahitian natives.

Kultamitalivaimo(fi)

Two conservative men are surprised when they find out that their wives are actually athletes.

Hello Lord Xuan(zh)

Zona inquinata(fr)

La Zone - the poor, dangerous quarters of Paris (George Lacombe, 1928); the administrative zone where Orpheus looks for his lost Eurydice (Jean Cocteau, 1950); Interzone - the working title for Naked Lunch (W.S. Burroughs, 1959). In 1983, Ossang created a synthesis of all these territories of unrest under a banner of dead colours. - IFFR

Hottabych and His Team(uk)

During a year of the war, Ilya 'Hottabych' Lysenko, a participant in the Maidan and a successful financial director, managed to create a team of five medical crews who evacuate the injured under fire from the hottest flashpoints on the frontline.

Hello Kitty Goes to the Movies(en)

Lights! Camera! Action! Get ready for big-screen fun with Hello Kitty and her friends! Includes: K.T. - The Kitty Terrestrial, The Wizard of Paws, Kitty and the King, Cat Wars, Paws - The Great White Dog Shark

Believe the Dance(en)

Four lost souls stuck in everyday routine are hit hard with a life-altering experience through the power of dance.

Twenty Dollar Star(en)

A successful Hollywood actress by day prowls the streets at night as a sex worker.

Maniac II: Mr. Robbie(en)

A children's television host solves all kids problems. Shot as a promo reel for a sequel to Maniac (1980) but was cut short due to the untimely death of actor Joe Spinell.

For Lionel - The Future Begins With You(de)

For Robert Gladitz and Elina Miller, the world suddenly turns upside down when they learn in 2021 that they are going to be parents. One thing is immediately clear to both of them: they want a better world for their son. So they establish a 'thrive village' in a small village in Bali. The community around the young couple grows quickly. A collective that has made it its mission to develop and promote projects that make the world a little bit better. Cooperation comes first. For many, this is also an opportunity to start over and let go of old burdens or traumas.

Sciuscià 70(it)

"Shoeshine 70" is a documentary directed by Mimmo Verdesca that celebrates an important anniversary. This years marks the 70th anniversary of the release of the film helmed by Vittorio De Sica "Shoeshine", a masterpiece of Neorealism, and the first Italian film ever to win an Oscar and the first recipient of a Nastro d'argento, a prizeigiven by Italian journalists. The film will revolve around the filming of that masterpiece in the 1946. Therefore it will be a report of those events but a film where memories will come to life thanks to the candid stories of the protagonists, that will take the spectator on an emotional and enticing journey.

Melody of Rebellion(ja)

The disbandment of the Tanno clan left gang member Tetsu to stray from the crime family's fold. He roamed the streets as a one man band, wearing a denim jacket and long hair with sunglasses to cover his piercing eyes. Befriending a like-minded lone wolf by the name of Gebasaku, Tetsu builds a coalition against higher forces. A graphic portrayal of irrepressible anger and a friendship worth dying for.

Am Ruder(de)

Billy Budd(en)

A version of Benjamin Britten's opera based on the Melville story. Will the virtuous young sailor Billy Budd be hanged for murder?

Sea of Blood(ko)

Based on a revolutionary play supposedly written by the Eternal President of the Democratic People's Republic, Kim Il-sung, and rumored to have been co-directed by Kim Jong-il. This revolutionary work is also popular among the Chinese, especially those who lived through the Cultural Revolution, and have fond memories of revolutionary antics.

The Turn of the Screw(en)

The operatic version of the famous story about a governess who fears her two charges are possessed.

Elektra(en)

Strauss's opera adapted to the screen by Gotz Friedrich.

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana(it)

Pietro Mascagni's opera recorded in 2009. Conductor Stefano Ranzani leads the orchestra and chorus of the Zurich Opera House, with performances by Argentinian tenor Jose Cura and soprano Pauletta Marrocu.

The Phantom of the Opera(en)

The deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star.

Gianni Schicchi(it)

When the rich and powerful Buoso Donati dies, his family's excitement about his estate is infinitely greater than their sorrow over his loss. They start searching for his will like a flock of hungry vultures. Apparently Donati has bequeathed everything to a monastery. There is absolutely no way they will allow this to happen. They search any means to seize the fortune. Rinuccia, the youngest scion of the family, suggests asking Gianni Schicchi, the father of her lover, for advice. They shudder at the mention of his name, but Gianni Schicchi is already on his way and proves to be a man with ideas.

Berg: Lulu(en)

Since its premiere on 2 June 1937 in Zurich, Alban Berg's second opera "Lulu" has the reputation of being surrounded by scandals. On the one hand, this is due to the dubious character of the subject, the man-eating femme fatale, which Berg had taken from Frank Wedekind's two Lulu tragedies – "The Earth Spirit" and "Pandora's Box" – and combined into one opera libretto. On the other hand, Berg's window had (for personal reasons) repeatedly refused to have the opera completed, which was unfinished when Berg died. This video is of the unfinished two-act torso of "Lulu."

La Clemenza di Tito(it)

This is an effective staging, though the set looks medieval and the costumes are modern. It’s well paced, well played, well sung. Jonas Kaufmann is an ideal Tito. His voice is not only beautiful and flexible, it’s also ample, retaining warmth and sweetness when he sings out. The character of Tito is too good to be true, but Kaufmann makes him intense, noble, and beliveable. Vesselina Kasarova is riviting as Sesto. Her voice is gorgeous and multi-colored, her technique exquisite, her immersion in the role complete.

Cavalleria rusticana(it)

Franco Zeffirelli directs these two legendary La Scala productions telling tragic tales of jealousy. Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana features performances by Elena Obraztsova, Plácido Domingo, and Renato Bruson. Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci stars Teresa Stratas, Plácido Domingo, and Juan Pons. Both are conducted by George Pretre. This production of Pagliacci earned director Franco Zeffirelli the coveted Emmy as Best Director in the category of Classical Music Programming.

Amadeus(en)

Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Viennese composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Manon Lescaut(it)

The story of the star crossed love between Manon Lescaut and Des Grieux.

Macbeth(it)

This hard-edged postmodern production of Giuseppe Verdi's haunting masterpiece brings the story of Shakespeare's bloody tragedy to vivid life, characterized by spine-tingling atmospherics and a triumphant debut by American baritone Thomas Hampson in the title role. This Zurich Opera House production also features a mesmerizing turn by Paoletta Marrocu as the beautiful, power-hungry Lady Macbeth, while striking sets and costumes further enhance the duality of the main character whose rise and fall mirror the darkest impulses of man. Replete with supernatural mystery, sexual tension, and violent power plays, this timeless story remains gripping and chilling for today's audiences and boasts some of the most astonishing music of Verdi's legendary body of work.

Verdi Macbeth Chailly(it)

Claude D'Anna's film of Verdi's Macbeth is a gloomy affair, stressing the descent into madness of the principal villains. It's acted by the singers of the Decca recording of the opera (with two substitutions of actors standing in for singers) and the lip-synching is generally unobtrusive. The musical performance is superb, conducted by Riccardo Chailly with admirable fire, and sung by some of the leading lights of the opera stages of the 1980s. Shirley Verrett virtually owned the role of Lady Macbeth at the time, and she delivers a terrific performance, the voice equal to the role's wide register leaps and it's suffused with emotion, whether urging her husband on to murder or maddened by guilt in the Sleepwalking Scene. Leo Nucci's resonant Macbeth may lack the ultimate in vocal color and steadiness (his last notes of the great aria Pietà, rispetto, amore are wobbly) but he compensates with intensity in both singing and acting.

Prodaná nevěsta(cs)

Carmen(fr)

This all-star cast is framed by Peter Hall’s gritty, realistic production and conducted by James Levine, who brings out all the surging emotion and gripping drama in Bizet’s score. At the center of the story is Agnes Baltsa, whose smoky mezzo is tailor-made for the gypsy Carmen, an independent woman who glories in obeying only her own rules, but who is haunted by fate. Superstar tenor José Carreras is Don José, the solider from a small town who catches Carmen’s eye and is destroyed by his growing obsession with her. Samuel Ramey is the charismatic matador Escamillo, who lures Carmen away from Don José with tragic result. Leona Mitchell is Micaëla, the simple girl from Don José’s hometown who cannot save him. March 21, 1987 Matinee Broadcast.

The Metropolitan Opera: The Tempest(en)

Composer Thomas Adès conducts the Met premiere of his powerful opera based on Shakespeare’s last play, in Robert Lepage’s brilliantly inventive production. Simon Keenlyside is the magician Prospero, who conjures the storm that shipwrecks his enemies and sets in motion the course of events. Rising Met stars Isabel Leonard and Alek Shrader are the young lovers, Miranda and Ferdinand, Alan Oke sings the sinister Caliban, and Audrey Luna gives a memorable performance as the sprite Ariel.

The Metropolitan Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci(it)

Director David McVicar’s new production brings opera’s favorite double bill to new life, setting the two operas in the same Sicilian setting, separated by two generations. Marcelo Álvarez takes on the rare feat of singing both leading tenor roles. In Cavalleria, he is Turiddu, the young man who abandons Santuzza (Eva-Maria Westbroek) in his pursuit of the married Lola (Ginger Costa-Jackson)—and ends up being killed in a duel with her husband, Alfio (George Gagnidze). In Pagliacci, Álvarez is Canio, the leader of a traveling vaudeville troupe. Patricia Racette sings Nedda, his unfaithful young wife, whose plans to run away with her lover are foiled by her spurned admirer Tonio (George Gagnidze)—with equally tragic consequences. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium.

Valkyrie Limited(en)

The documentary draws a portrait of an opera director who is staging Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre. He is torn between the tragicomic routine of an opera house and his own perception of Wagner and the Ring cycle. The film witnesses the director’s drama in maintaining the fragile link between a well-constructed performance and his own vision that lies within the music and the narrative, and is seen as German expressionism-like nightmares.

La Traviata(en)

A collaboration between award-winning American filmmaker Sofia Coppola and Italia haute couture king Valentino comes in the form of a revival of Giuseppe Verdi's classic opera, La Traviata. Captured live from the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.