Filmtank

Song in endless corridors. Behind the shelf with the wigs stands the well-stocked blood fridge, a swarm of elves twitters through the canteen, drums, trumpets, an omnipresent voice drones from the loud speakers. Insinuations, big words, clicking strings of pearls, and every gesture counts. Massive hoisting contraptions by the sewers below, and an exultant choir floats upwards: As a leitmotif the film takes on Stuttgart’s Parsifal, staged by the Catalan director Calixto Bieito, in order to dive into the complex universe of a large opera house. We follow the meshing of creative and technical processes as we become witness to the disputes between various parties over content and aesthetics. We meet people with somewhat exotic jobs, people who set gigantic machines in motion and who are themselves part of this machinery. Planning and staging an opera takes an entire year. We use this time to also understand what really drives this apparatus.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi6zPpC-0lU

Distribution Buy

D
2010
92 mins.