Die Zauberflöte

Farinelli(fr)

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

Simon Boccanegra(it)

Coming just before the mature final works, Verdi's Simon Boccanegra - along with Un Ballo in Maschera, Les Vêpres Siciliennes, La Forza del Destino and Don Carlos - occupy a strange but fascinating hinterland in the career of the composer. Each of the operas, influenced by Verdi's political involvement in the Risorgimento for the reunification of Italy during the period, are very much concerned with the exercise of power, but they all rely on typically operatic conventions of bel canto and French Grand Opéra in their use of personal tragedies and unlikely twists of fate to highlight the human feelings and weaknesses that lie behind their historical dramas. Written in 1859, but revised by the composer in 1881, Piave's libretto given an uncredited reworking by Arrigo Boito, Simon Boccanegra is consequently one of the more interesting works from this period, certainly from a musical standpoint. Live from Teatro all Scala, Milan 2010.

Benjamin: Lessons in Love and Violence(en)

Opera based on the story of Edward II and Piers Gaveston. Music by George Benjamin, libretto by Martin Crimp. BBC broadcast of the 2018 premiere at the Royal Opera House, the composer conducting, prefaced by commentary and interviews.

Glass: Kepler(en)

Live performance of Philip Glass's opera Kepler (2009) by the Landestheater Linz Upper Austrian State Theater in 2011, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies.

Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg(de)

James Morris leads an all-star cast including Karita Mattila, Ben Heppner, Thomas Allen and René Pape, in this production of Wagner's comic opera, recorded live at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 2001. James Levine conducts.

Der Rosenkavalier(en)

This 2004 production of Richard Strauss's three-act comic opera Der Rosenkavalier (1911) emerged from the efforts of the Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg. It stars Adrianne Pieczonka as Feldmarschallin, Franz Hawlata as Baron Ochs, Angelika Kirchschlager as Octavian and Franz Grundheber as Faninal. The Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor and the Wiener Philharmoniker lend added musical support, with Rupert Huber serving as chorus master of the former and Semyon Bychkov conducting the latter.

Der Rosenkavalier(de)

This performance of Richard Strauss' opera Der Rosenkavalier (1979) features the vocal talents of Gwyneth Jones in the lead role; recorded at the National Theatre Munich.

Der Rosenkavalier(de)

Felicity Lott, Anne-Sofie Von Otter, and Kurt Moll star in this production of Richard Strauss' opera, staged in Vienna in 1994. A romantic comedy of errors. Princess von Werdenberg must hide her affair with Octavian from her family; when he disguises himself as a chambermaid to avoid scandalizing the Princess, he is pressed into presenting a gift to Baron Ochs von Lerchenau, who has arrived to propose marriage to Sophie von Faninal. However, Ochs soon finds himself infatuated with the chambermaid, much to Octavian's chagrin, which proves to be only the first of a long series of romantic misunderstandings. This production of Der Rosenkavalier is performed by the Vienna State Orchestra and Chorus, under the direction of Carlos Kleiber.

Boris Godunov(en)

Mussorgsky's quintessential Russian opera is captured live on stage in this performance by the Bolshoi Opera featuring Rimsky-Korsakov's revised vision and starring Evgeny Nesternko and Vladislav Piavko.

Boris Godunov(en)

Modest Mussorgsky's opera in prologue and four acts is performed by the Kirov Opera with performances from Olga Borodina, Alexei Steblianko and Sergei Leiferkust. Boris Godunov has obtained the throne of Russia by murdering the rightful heir Dmitry. An old monk, Pimen, witnessed this, and convinces his apprentice Grigory to avenge Dmitry's death. In the following years Grigory poses as Dmitry, raising an army against Boris, who is now convinced that he is being punished for the murder. Filmed in Russia during the collapse of the Soviet Union, this particular production of Mussorgsky's 1872 tale of political upheaval is considered a highly unique and historical moment in opera. Robert Lloyd stars in the title role of Boris Godunov.

Antikrist(en)

A religious mystery opera; a magnificent doomsday vision. Composer Rued Langgaard's opera on the moral decay of modern society features the Royal Danish Opera and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Thomas Dausgaard. Performers include Sten Byrel, Anne Margrethe Dahl, John Lundgren and Camilla Nylund. A Danish co-production by the Royal Danish Opera and the Danish Broadcasting corporation from 2002.

Elektra(en)

Recorded at the Vienna State Opera house in 1989, this staging of Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s Elektra is one of the glories of live opera on film, deserving of eternal availability. The DVD picture has great clarity, despite the darkness of Hans Schavernoch’s set design. Other than the cliché of a huge statue head, toppled on its side, the set manages to be suitably representative of a decaying palace as well as an imposing, theatrical space, dominated by the mammoth body of the statue from which the head apparently dropped, draped with the ropes that seem to have enabled the decapitation. Sooner or later most of the characters cling to and twist around those ropes, an apt stage metaphor for the remorseless repercussions from the murder of Agammenon by his unfaithful wife Klytämnestra and her paramour, Aegisthus. Reinhard Heinrich’s costumes capture a distant era while sustaining a creepily modern look — part Goth, part homeless, part Spa-wear.

Die Soldaten(de)

Nancy Shade is persuasive as the awkward adolescent Marie, whose naiveté leads relentlessly to her downfall. Michael Ebbecke is sympathetic as Stolzius, her jilted lover and avenger, while William Cochran is properly brutish as Desportes, the officer who initiates her spiral of decline. Bernhard Kontarsky gets a dedicated response from his Stuttgart Opera forces, who perform with belief in this often excessive but always engrossing work. Recorded at the Staatsoper Stuttgart, 1989.

Parsifal live at the Salzburg Easter Festival(en)

Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden in this performance of Wagner's opera recorded live in 2013. The performance was held for the Salzburg Easter Festival and featured vocalists including Johan Botha, Michaela Schuster, Stephen Milling and Wolfgang Koch.

Ariadne Auf Naxos(en)

Christian Thielemann conducts this Staatskapelle Dresden production of Richard Strauss' chamber opera. The opera follows events at the home of the wealthiest man in Vienna, who has booked both a comedy burlesque act and a serious opera group for entertainment. When the dinner runs long he declares that both forms of entertainment must take place at the same time - much to the chagrin of the opera's proud young composer. Filmed live in Baden-Baden on Feb. 25 by the veteran director Brian Large, Renée Fleming makes her debut in the role of Ariadne together with fellow key Strauss interpreters Sophie Koch and Christian Thielemann, following on from their Rosenkavalier triumph. Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden, the orchestra to whom Strauss dedicated his Alpine Symphony and which premiered Feuersnot, Salome, Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier and Daphne.

Tristan Und Isolde(en)

The Bayreuth Festival mounted this 2009 production of Richard Wagner's 1865 opera Tristan und Isolde, with Michael Beyer directing. It stars Robert Dean Smith as Tristan, Iréne Theorin as Isolde, Michelle Breedt as Brangäne and Robert Holl as King Marke. The Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus lend musical accompaniment, under the baton of Peter Schneider, while Anna Viebrock designed the costumes and the sets; Cristoph Marthaler produced. The production at hand opened the 2009 Bayreuth Festival.

The Minotaur(en)

This staging of Harrison Birtwistle's opera The Minotaur features John Tomlinson, Johann Reuter, Christine Rice, and Andrew Watts in the main roles. Stephen Langridge directed the production for the stage, and Antonio Pappano conducted the orchestra.

Lohengrin(en)

This performance of the Richard Wagner opera Logengrin was filmed in high definition for the Bayreuth Festival in 2011, and features vocalists like Georg Zeppenfeld, Klaus Florian Vogt, and Anette Dasch in the leading roles.

Die Frau ohne Schatten(de)

This performance of the Richard Strauss opera Frau ohne Schatten, recorded live and in high definition, features vocalists like Stephen Gould, Anne Schwanewilms, Michaela Schuster, and Wolfgang Koch in the leading roles.

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde(en)

Wagner's erotic opera in a production by the German Opera of Berlin under the direction of Gotz Friedrich, with music conducted by Jiri Kout. Recorded at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Wehe, wenn sie losgelassen(de)

Fun(en)

Hillary and Bonnie meet one morning by the side of the road. They become fast friends, share their secrets, and, on a rising wave of frenzy, later that afternoon, murder an old woman. They did it, they say later, for fun.

Love in 3-D(de)

Presumably inspired by Pete Walker's 4 Dimensions of Greta this is another 1970s sex comedy filmed in 3D. Walter Boos however went all the way - we do not have just the odd 3D boob scene, the whole film is made in 3D. The viewer is constantly reminded of that, because the cinematography is truly bizarre with plenty of scenes of rather peculiar camera angles that strongly emphasize the 3D effects, e.g. a girl on a swing moving towards (and above) the camera, twigs hitting a car window, and many many more. The exaggeration of 3D makes these scenes quite funny, as the effects are completely over the top.

Turkish Saddle(ru)

The film’s hero, Ilyich, cannot understand what’s wrong with him. Ilyich is a for- mer “mole”, an external observation agent in the KGB, then FSB. A skilled instructor. Now he is retired. From loneliness, he continues to watch those who catch his attention and curiosity. The doctor diagnoses him with empty sella syndrome (the syndrome of an empty Turkish Seat), which poses no danger for society... One day new neighbours move in, a young couple of musicians, and Ilyich’s life changes...

Hide(en)

HIDE is a contained psychological thriller about one resilient wife’s (Nadine Malouf) fight to escape her husband’s (Ben Samuels) escalating gaslighting and abuse during lockdown. The female-centric genre film is lensed in the wife’s evolving perspective as she slowly comes to see what is happening to her and finds the support to fight back. Visually mesmerizing and emotionally arresting, the film’s pace and pathos pull us into a story that will feel uncomfortably familiar to too many of us.

Bridges(en)

College student Amanda Carlisle comes to a life altering decision as she grapples with her inner demons. In her darkest moment, she meets a friend who unknowingly stops her from making a fatal mistake.

Rheme Maining Sources(pt)

A place-specific film-excavation of Bixiga neiborhood – São Paulo. Choreography of forces that cross present time. Filmancy, clairvoyance is the vision of what is taking shape.

Fuera de la ley(en)

Four raw stories about justice and law.

Dinner Time(en)

Dinner Time is noted as the first sound cartoon short made after Warner Bros.' success with The Jazz Singer and produced even before Walt Disney's first sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie (though released after).

Dilemma(en)

Dilemma is the debut short by writer/director Ian Tierney. It is a 7 minute philosophical thriller. A man wakes up in a strange room with two other strangers who are bound and gagged. He is asked to kill one or both will be killed. The film takes this premise to its extremes, inviting the audience to ask themselves 'What would you do?'

Star(fr)

Star follows the path of Tito and Jay, two brothers living in the Montreal neighborhood of Park Extension. Accompanying these young people in their daily life marked by complicity and intimidation, Star tackles themes dear to teenagers: identity and friendship.

Love Story(en)

A theatre usher looks for love and finds it in a library book. A cop chases a killer only to wind up at the end of her own gun. A pulp-romance writer confuses fact with fiction and learns that true love comes only after a great loss. The stories that flows from this ebb of desire to find true love leads us various stories that will be amalgam of time, space, consequences and fact and fiction often are not easily identifiable.

Blind Desire(fr)

A violinist passes on to his daughter three rings which represent three passions of his romantic past, and urges her to save each for men who truly deserve one.She squanders them all on one man who is undeserving.

Abandoned and Alone(af)

Oupa en Ouma try to survive during harsh conditions on a farm. With no one around to help. they rely on nothing but their faith.

The Prayer(ko)

Yeon Jeong In is the legal guardian of her mother, who is lying unconscious in a hospital bed for the past ten years. She feels exhausted from all of it and only has a care giving robot to rely on for support. Meanwhile, the care giving robot, Ho Joong, is conflicted over whom to save.

The Art of Political Murder(en)

An investigation into the truth behind the murder of Guatemalan Bishop, Juan Gerardi, who was killed in 1998 just days after trying to hold the country's military accountable for the atrocities committed during its civil war.

犬神家の一族(ja)

The Lost Souls of Syria(fr)

Twenty-seven thousand photos of corpses, and bodies tortured in detention centers of the Syrian regime, are leaked in 2014 by a mysterious deserter with the code name "Caesar". Because of the geopolitical interests of some countries and the indifference of other nations, international justice refuses to prosecute the regime of Bashar Al Assad responsible for crimes reminiscent of Nazi or Khmer barbarism. Filmed throughout Europe over nearly four years between 2016 and 2020, the film recounts the behind-the-scenes and twists and turns of investigations and proceedings that will lead to the issuance of arrest warrants for the highest officials of Bashar al Assad's administration for crimes against humanity.