Wagner: Siegfried(1980)

Wagner: Götterdämmerung(fr)

Götterdämmerung, the fourth of Richard Wagner's four Ring operas. The cast features Manfred Jung as Siegfried and Gwyneth Jones as Brünnhilde, with music provided by Bayreuther Festspiele Orchester conducted by Pierre Boulez. This title is available in a boxed set with the other Ring operas, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, and Siegfried.

Growing Young(en)

Minks, 16, is living with her Nan who has dementia. Unaware of what Dementia really is, Minks is trying to understand the severity of her Nan’s forgetfulness. The two women share a unique bond, despite their generational gap, which is highlighted by Nan’s good sense of humour. However it’s only a matter of time till Minks is forced to realise she can no longer care for her Nan on her own.

Behind the door(pt)

An experience of breaking into buildings and creating new homes for homeless families in Rio de Janeiro in opposition to a series of forced evictions by the State. These evictions initiate a major intervention project in the city intensified since 2007. In the documentary, the project called “revitalization” is questioned by the residents of various occupations.

Black Sun(fr)

A young Gallic heiress Christine is looking for her long-lost brother in Algeria. She's not looking for danger, but that's what comes in her way from every nook and cranny.

My Uncle Tudor(mo)

In intimate close-ups the camera captures an idyllic scene that seems to belong to a different era.

The Tree of Life(so)

In a small town, a nomad cuts down a tree he needs to use. However, he accidentally chops down the wrong tree, felling the tree that sustains life itself. When the latter tree falls, all life disappears. The nomad then finds himself in the middle of a desert that he does not recognize, and he tries to work his way out of it. During this particular quest, he comes across a small tree that is in the process of dying and opts instead to save this one.

The Medicine Man(en)

The son and daughter of an abusive shopkeeper turn to a medicine show salesman for help.

The Guiding Light(cn)

13-year old Bruce Lee plays San, a child up for adoption. Finally accepted by his surrogate parents, he is faced with a dilemma when his real parents show up and want him back.

Primo Baby(en)

A tomboyish juvenile delinquent, Paschal Draney, is sent to live in a foster home run by a well-known horse breeder where he befriends a Thoroughbred seemingly crippled by a congenital eye defect.

The Jet Cage(en)

Tweety sits in his house, forlorn over the fact he can't fly outside like other birds because of his hungry feline predator, Sylvester.

East/West: Sex & Politics(en)

Both in 2006 and 2007, the Gay Pride Parade attempts in Moscow are violently beaten down. For many observers, the attitude towards the sexual minorities seems to be the litmus test of the state of democracy in Russia. In January 2007, for the first time in Russian history, a Russian leader, president Vladimir Putin mentions the situation of the LGBT community: He won't criticize the politics of Moscow mayor Yuri Lushkov, who forbid the event, but he is concerned about the demographic future of the country. And Putins opinion seems to be repeated by the right wing contra demonstrators on the streets. The film shows both the organizers of the Pride events and also the survival strategies of the majority Russian lesbians and gays, to whom the fight for democracy on the streets doesn't seem to be an attractive alternative.

Sir(hi)

Sir is a 1993 Bollywood film directed by Mahesh Bhatt starring Naseeruddin Shah, Pooja Bhatt, Atul Agnihotri and Paresh Rawal.

Fly Me To The Moon(en)

An awesome fantasy film by the great TVJ.

The Sin of Adam and Eve(es)

Absurd retelling of the story of Adam and Eve, this was the first of several biblical movies by director Miguel Zacarías that were intended to inspire the faithful but only inspired laughter instead. This film gained much notoriety due to the abundant nudity of its stars and was released worldwide.

Lilly unter den Linden(de)

Mon amour, mon ami(en)

Daniela and Fouad live in Gubbio, and they both come from the sea: she is from Bari, he is from Casablanca. Their bodies have suffered hardships and alcoholism. They met by chance and a deep and healing friendship was born, which led them to live together. Now that Fouad needs a permit to stay, marriage seems to be the easiest solution. Daniela agrees to it, but as the wedding approaches, the ambiguity of Fouad’s feelings begins to worry her. Can you fake- marry someone who really loves you?

Alone in Paris(fr)

Henri and Jeannette Milliard, a newly married couple from Normandy arrive in Paris where they intend to spend their honeymoon. Unforfunately a wicket gate in the metro separates the couple. In panic, Henri looks for his wife across the capital. He ends up finding her at the hotel they were to put up. But it looks as if Jeannette has gone through some distressing adventure.

Scream Girls(ja)

According to an urban legend, a girl named Hikiko Mori was taunted and bullied relentlessly by her classmates, eventually resulting in her accidental death. Holding a grudge against all bullies, her spirit now haunts her former school, slowly gathering the strength to exact vengeance on the living. A group of frightened school girls decide to investigate the rumors further and what they find convinces them that they have to stop the spirit of Hikiko-san before it’s too late

Mozart: La clemenza di Tito(it)

How do we live together in an age of conflict? How do you heal a divided and angry people? In their 2017 production of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, Peter Sellars and Teodor Currentzis examine these questions through the story of a warrior-emperor who brings peace to his divided land and pardons his own would-be assassins. Written under a time crunch (legend has it that it was written in only 18 days, although it is likely an exaggeration) during the last year of Mozart’s life, the opera is based on a libretto written more than half a century earlier by Pietro Metastasio. It was commissioned for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia, and received its first public performance at the Estates Theatre in Prague on September 6, 1791.

Ermione(it)

Recorded at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1995, this acclaimed presentation of composer Gioachino Rossini's epic opus ERMIONE is based on Jean Racine's play "Andromache." Set in Troy after the city fell to the Greeks, the production recounts the rancorous battle between widow Andromache and Helen of Troy's green-eyed daughter, Ermione for the love of Pyrrhus

R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (Salzburger Festspiele)(de)

With their “comedy for music” in the spirit of Mozart, Richard Strauss and his inspired librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal created the most popular of all their works and one of the most frequently performed operas of all time. In the guise of a gossamer-light and supremely entertaining high-class comedy, Der Rosenkavalier touches on universal themes such as love, sex, marital fidelity and the changes that human relations undergo over time – and all of it set to music of the most glorious kind imaginable. With its stellar cast under the inspired direction of Harry Kupfer, the 2014 Salzburg Festival’s production of Der Rosenkavalier was one of the most internationally acclaimed interpretations of the work since the start of the new millennium. “A musical feast from beginning to end“ (Wiener Zeitung).

Britten: The Turn of the Screw(en)

In Benjamin Britten's operatic adaptation of Henry James' masterwork, a naive governess (Helen Field) arrives at a country manor and soon discovers that it holds a murky secret involving her charges and two ghostly servants who wield a sinister influence on them. The taut, atmospheric production also stars Sam Linay, Machiko Obata, Menai Davies and Phyllis Cannan, with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra providing accompaniment.

Puccini: La Boheme(it)

"La Bohème" is one of Giacomo Puccini's most popular and timeless works and the second-most performed opera at New York's Metropolitan Opera. This production, directed by the legendary Franco Zeffirelli, features José Carreras, Teresa Stratas, Renata Scotto and Richard Stilwell. The opera is replete with extraordinary visual beauty as it presents the tragic story of young bohemians struggling to make it in the world.

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.

Norma(en)

Gaul has been conquered by the Romans. Oroveso, the Arch-Druid longs to lead a Gallic rebellion against the colonial forces. He and all the others wait for the signal to be given by his daughter, the Druid High Priestess Norma. But Norma has fallen in love with the Roman Proconsul, Pollione, and given birth to two children. They have been brought up in secrecy by her confidante Clotilde. Norma still loves Pollione but he has fallen in love with a novice priestess, Adalgisa.

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.

The Metropolitan Opera: Die Walküre(en)

Robert Lepage’s landmark staging of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, unveiled over the course of the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, was the first new Met production of the complete cycle in more than 20 years. Combining state-of-the-art technology with traditional storytelling, it brings Wagner’s vision into the 21st century. With Die Walküre, the story of the Ring enters the world of human beings. Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek are Siegmund and Sieglinde, the twin children of Wotan, sung by Bryn Terfel. Deborah Voigt stars in the title role of the Valkyrie Brünnhilde, Wotan’s favorite daughter. James Levine conducts.

Bizet: The Pearl Fishers(fr)

Bizet’s rarely heard opera returned to the Met for the first time in a century on New Year’s Eve 2015, in Penny Woolcock’s acclaimed new production. Star soprano Diana Damrau sings Leïla, the virgin priestess at the center of the story. Matthew Polenzani and Mariusz Kwiecien are Nadir and Zurga, rivals for Leïla’s love who have sworn to renounce her to protect their friendship—and who get to sing one of opera’s most celebrated duets, “Au fond du temple saint.” Nicolas Testé is the high priest Nourabad and Gianandrea Noseda conducts Bizet’s supremely romantic score.

Paisiello Nina(en)

The opera: Nina, o sia La Pazza Per Amore itself, is an extra-ordinary sad and touching story, and seems very difficult to be performed if the singer has no acting talents. Therefore we adore Cecilia Bartoli for the magnificent performance as the crazy Nina who lost her mind totally. Her magnificent singing, we don't doubt at all, but her acting is amazingly such that it expressed a real situation of a girl becoming crazy and losing her mind caused by painful incidents in her love life. It is also supported by the other singers who are singing matching as perfectly and splendidly as the diva Cecilia Bartoli, especially the baritone Laszlo Polgar with his deep rich voice as the cruel father who has remorse and came back to see his daughter Nina and the young tenor Jonas Kauffmann with his clear light voice, resulting in a surprisingly beautifully performed opera.

Rusalka(cs)

Three arias from Antonín Dvořák´s fairytale opera Rusalka turned in to a movie, sung by Gabriela Beňačková (Rusalka), Libuše Márová (Witch), René Tuček (Hunter).

Farinelli(fr)

The life and career of Italian opera singer Farinelli, considered one of the greatest castrato singers of all time.

Arthur(en)

Clay animation film by Guionne Leroy, based on the music of Henry Purcell's opera "King Arthur"

Teatro alla Scala: Joan of Arc(it)

"Giovanna d'Arco; ossia, la pulzella d'Orléans" is an operatic dramma lirico with a prologue and three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. The opera partly reflects the story of Joan of Arc and is based on a play by Friedrich von Schiller, although claimed by the librettist to be "an entirely original Italian drama." If the thought of Anna Netrebko strutting her stuff in a suit of armour and tin hat sets your factor tingling then this is a must. It's an inconsistent opera but has some quite wonderful music along the way. The rest of the cast is good and the production won't offend either. Get it for Ms Netrebko's incredible performance alone.

Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress(en)

The Rake's Progress is an English-language opera from 1951 in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky. The libretto, written by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, is based loosely on the eight paintings and engravings A Rake's Progress (1733–1735) of William Hogarth, which Stravinsky had seen on 2 May 1947, in a Chicago exhibition. Filmed in Aix-en-Provence, 1992.

Elixir of Love(en)

The incomparable Luciano Pavarotti at his most eloquent brings Donizetti’s Nemorino to live as only he can, combining vocal fireworks, personal charisma, and charm. The enchanting production by Nathaniel Merrill, with designs by Robert O’Hearn, is the perfect setting for Nemorino’s quest to win the heart of beautiful Adina, sung by the sparkling Judith Blegen. Brent Ellis as Belcore and Sesto Bruscantini as Dr. Dulcamara round out the all-star cast. Nicola Rescigno conducts.

Handel: Alcina(en)

Philippe Jaroussky as Ruggiero is in thrall to Patricia Petibon as the sorceress Alcina in Katie Mitchell’s virtuosic production of Handel’s opera from the 2015 Aix-en-Provence Festival, described by Bachtrack as “a night of a thousand delights”. Conducted by Andrea Marcon, this was, in the words of Opera News, “musically … a performance of the highest festival level”. The production of Alcina, by the British director Katie Mitchell, was welcomed by the Financial Times as “meticulously executed …, rich in detail, consummately polished”. As the New York Times wrote: “It involves a huge sorcery machine for turning people into animals (or whatever). And Ms. Mitchell works magic of her own onstage, constantly showing the enchantresses Alcina and Morgana alternating between glamorous public personas and their ‘real life’, older, private selves …There are also bits of simulated sex, mingling genders and suggesting, among other things, inventive new ways to hit high notes.”

Mozart Ascanio in Alba(en)

Turandot(it)

Valery Gergiev leads the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in this production of Puccini's opera, recorded live at the Salzburger Festspiele in 2002. David Pountney's production features performances by Gabriele Schnaut, Paata Burchuladze, Johan Botha and Cristina Gallardo-Domas. This production uses Luciano Berio's 2001 completion of this unfinished opera.