What's Opera, Doc?

The Metropolitan Opera: Norma(it)

Deep in a forest where druids and warriors seek revenge against the conquering Romans, Norma is scorned by the Roman proconsul Pollione, with whom she has two children. Her kindness turns to fury when she discovers that Pollione has taken Adalgisa, a novice priestess, as his new lover. When Pollione loses his high rank in the army and is offered as a sacrifice, Norma promises him freedom under one condition.

The Metropolitan Opera: The Exterminating Angel(en)

After the acclaimed Met premiere of Thomas Adès's "The Tempest" in 2012, the composer returned with another masterpiece, this time inspired by filmmaker Luis Buñuel's seminal surrealist classic "El Ángel Exterminador", during the 2017–18 season. As the opera opens, a group of elegant socialites gather for a lavish dinner party, but when it is time to leave for the night, no one is able to escape. Soon, their behavior becomes increasingly erratic and savage. The large ensemble cast tackles both the vocal and dramatic demands of Adès's opera with one riveting performance after another. Tom Cairns, who also penned the work's libretto, directs an engrossing and inventive production, using a towering wooden archway to trap the characters onstage. And Adès himself takes the podium to conduct the frenzied score, which features a host of unconventional instruments, including the eerie electronic ondes Martenot.

The Metropolitan Opera: Tosca(it)

Sir David McVicar’s bold new staging of Tosca, Puccini’s operatic thriller of Napoleonic Rome, thrilled Met audiences when it rang in the New Year in 2018. Only weeks later, the production was seen by opera lovers worldwide as part of the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema presentations. In this performance, Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva is the passionate title diva, opposite charismatic tenor Vittorio Grigolo as her lover, the idealistic painter Mario Cavaradossi. Baritone Željko Lučić is the menacing Baron Scarpia, the evil chief of police who employs brutal tactics to ensnare both criminals and sexual conquests. On the podium, Emmanuel Villaume conducts the electrifying score, which features some of Puccini’s most memorable melodies.

The Tramp(en)

The Little Fellow finds the girl of his dreams and work on a family farm. He helps defend the farm against criminals, and all seems well, until he discovers the girl of his dreams already has someone in her life. Unwilling to be a problem in their lives, he takes to the road, though he is seen skipping and swinging his cane as if happy to be back on the road where he knows he belongs.

A minute of silence(el)

The Radical(en)

This beautiful short, commissioned by UCLan’s Creative Innovation Zone, is an intricate hand-drawn journey through the life of a local activist, George Dewhurst. An ordinary working man from Blackburn, George was charged with High Treason, shortly after The Peterloo Massacre in August 1819, for speaking at a gathering of workers in Burnley. Narrated by one of George's descendants, 8-year-old Monty Speed, this beautiful animated montage depicts events in George's life in the year 1819, following a quest by descendants to uncover his grave and raise awareness of his story.

The Old Man(en)

Alan, a 70-something widower, struggles to accept the fact that he's not the young and healthy man that he used to be. This is sparked after his daughter suggests that he should move into an assisted living home.

In a Violent Suburbs(en)

A first person journey through a lunchtime adventure as he finds himself enthralled by a masterpiece.

One Day Before Our Era(ru)

Montage of still photos with lighting effects.

Misguided Piss(en)

When a nerd observes the nice things that can happen when a stream accidentally goes astray, he decides to try the same tactic.

In a Heartbeat(en)

A closeted boy runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams.

Tease(en)

A man in a movie production office partially strips for the camera.

Who Said Meow?(ru)

After hearing someone's "meow" for the first time in his life, baby puppy goes in search of the unknown beast and meets various inhabitants of the house and yard. On children's curiosity and the first acquaintance with the world.

The Forger(en)

Adolfo Kaminsky started saving lives when chance and necessity made him a master forger. As a teenager, he became a member of the French Resistance and used his talent to save the lives of thousands of Jews. The Forger is a well-crafted origin story of a real-life superhero.

See Saw Seams(en)

An artistic short film directed by Stan Vanderbeek.

Backpackdraft(en)

An action comedy about the bravest heroes of all: backpack firefighters.

Savage(en)

On a summer day in the 1950s, a native girl watches the countryside go by from the backseat of a car. A woman at her kitchen table sings a lullaby in her Cree language. When the girl arrives at her destination, she undergoes a transformation that will turn the woman’s gentle voice into a howl of anger and pain.

Here There Be Tygers(en)

Third grade student Charles really needs to go to the bathroom. And when his evil teacher Miss Bird finally releases him to go and relieve himself, he arrives at the bathroom to find a full-grown tiger sitting outside of the stalls.

Sound & Colour(en)

Hannah returns home to face her dysfunctional and emotionally-repressed family after her attempted suicide. Her journey towards healing intertwines with the humorous clashes and unique bonds within the family.

The Life of Lester Wink(en)

Lester Wink, a door-to-door pet insurance salesman with a phobia of talking with strangers, must make a sale by 5pm, or get fired. He meets Sammy, a widow who is afraid to leave her house, and a friendship is born.

One Froggy Evening(en)

A workman finds a singing frog in the cornerstone of an old building being demolished. But when he tries to cash in on his discovery, he finds the frog will sing only for him, and just croak for the talent agent and the audience in the theater he's spent his life savings on.

A Face in the Crowd(en)

The rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king-maker. Marcia Jeffries is the innocent Sarah Lawrence girl who discovers the great man in a back-country jail and is the first to fall under his spell.

Rabbit Seasoning(en)

Elmer is hunting both Daffy and Bugs again. Bugs talks Elmer into going after Daffy, who ends up getting the worst of all the pranks.

Robin Hood Daffy(en)

Daffy attempts to convince Porky, as Friar Tuck, that he really is Robin Hood.

Duck Amuck(en)

The short-tempered Daffy Duck must improvise madly as the backgrounds, his costumes, the soundtrack, even his physical form, shifts and changes at the whim of the animator.

Gertie the Dinosaur(en)

Although not the first feature-length animated film, as is sometimes thought, it was the first cartoon to feature a character with an appealing personality. The appearance of a true character distinguished it from earlier animated "trick films", such as those of Blackton and Cohl, and makes it the predecessor to later popular cartoons such as those by Walt Disney. The film was also the first to be created using keyframe animation.

The Hunter(en)

During his long career, bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson has caught over 5,000 criminals. Now, while he is working on apprehending fugitives in Illinois, Texas and Nebraska, he himself is being hunted by a psychotic killer.

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared(en)

A disturbing puppet short exploring the concept of creativity.

Boyhood Daze(en)

Ralph gets sent to his room for breaking a window. There, he passes the time in Walter Mitty-type fashion, daydreaming that he's a parent-saving jungle explorer, an alien-fighting jet ace and a convict.

Bully for Bugs(en)

Bugs Bunny once again making that "wrong turn at Albuquerque" burrows into a bullring, where a magnificent bull is making short work of a toreador. The bull bucks Bugs out of the arena, prompting the bunny to declare "Of course you realize, this means war!" The deft Bugs' arsenal comes plenty packed, as he uses anvils, well-placed face slaps and the bull's horns as a slingshot. The bull fights back, using his horns as a shotgun barrel. The bull's comeback is short-lived; just after Bugs makes out his will, he lures the bull out of the arena, just in time to set up a rube-like device that leads to the bull's defeat.

Hare-Way to the Stars(en)

Bugs Bunny groggily climbs out of bed and his hole and, unknowingly, into a rocket ship that's parked directly above. It transports him into outer space, where he is chased by martians.

Feedin' the Kiddie(en)

Jerry and Tuffy lead the quest to thanksgiving. All the sudden, Tom sneaks into the dinning room to destroy Jerry and Tuffy. So, Jerry, Tuffy and Tom battle over thanksgiving. In the end, Jerry, Tuffy and Tom would agree to eat the whole turkey but Tuffy decides to ate the whole turkey.

Tortoise Wins by a Hare(en)

Bugs challenges Cecil Turtle to race, only this time he's wearing an aerodynamic suit like Cecil's. Unfortunately, the gambling ring has bet everything on the rabbit, and Bugs now looks like a tortoise.

Automania 2000(en)

An animated, dark satire of America's automobile-obsessed, consumerist culture. An anonymous, brilliant scientist toils tirelessly in his ivory tower satisfying the public's ever-increasing demands for novelty and status consciousness, with predictable environmental consequences.

First Horse Warriors(en)

The advent of horse riding changed the course of human history and the genetic makeup of humankind.

Claws for Alarm(en)

Porky and Sylvester stay overnight in what Sylvester realizes is a terrifying hotel filled with endless imminent danger.

Half-Fare Hare(en)

Bugs Bunny boards the Chattanooga Choo Choo and finds Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton, from "The Honeymooners" TV show. Ralph and Ed are starving, and when they set eyes on Bugs, they yell, "It's foooooood!"

Shallow Grave(en)

When David, Juliet, and Alex find their new roommate dead with a large sum of money, they agree to hide the body and keep the cash. However, this newfound fortune gradually corrodes their friendship.

Kangaroo Jack(en)

Two childhood friends — a New York hairstylist and a wanna-be musician — get mixed-up with the mob and are forced to deliver $50,000 to Australia, but things go all wrong when the money is lost to a wild kangaroo.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God(de)

A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.