The Odyssey of Offenbach
On the occasion of the bicentenary of Offenbach, a dramatised documentary retraces his exceptional career.
© François Séjourné
The melodies of Offenbach are among the most famous in the history of music but his repertoire and life story remain obscure to many people. Born in Cologne in 1819, the German Jewish teenager came to live in Paris at the age of fourteen and developed into "the most Parisian of composers".
Initiated and produced by ARTE France, this dramatised documentary retraces his exceptional career which left a deep impression on the theatrical and operatic life of the 19th century.
Filmed in beautiful locations in Paris as the Opéra Comique, Théâtre du Palais Royal many dramatized sequences relate and re-enact episodes from his life.
This docudrama combines talents of singers as soprano Stéphanie d'Oustrac and actors as Michel Fau and amazing newcomer Robert Hatisi as Jacques Offenbach.
It includes several interviews with stage directors Robert Carsen and Laurent Pelly, conductor Mark Minkowski, biographers and musicologists.
And to evoke the most popular titles, the film uses of extracts from existing live recordings from Orpheus in the Underworld, La Vie Parisienne, La Périchole, The Tales of Hoffman.
Written by Jean-Claude Yon and François Roussillon
Directed by François Roussillon and Mariame Clément
A coproduction between Arte France and François Roussillon & Associés
With the participation of the Opéra Comique
Screener available on September 2019
LOOKING FOR COMPLEMENTARIES PARTNERS
please contact: davidreboul@fraprod.com
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN...
Deutscher Kamerapreis for Accentus documentary
Accentus Music
Mitja Hagelueken, DOP of the Accentus Music film „What to do with all this love“, has received the award for his “unobtrusive and sensitive camera work”.
IMZ Academy 2019: “Re-Imagining Opera For The Digital Age”
IMZ International Music + Media Centre
Adapting to the continuously growing digital realm can be a challenge for a traditional, live art form like Opera. However, it can also fuel a creative, vitalising re-imagination of the ways in which opera houses communicate + connect with their audience.
Call for Entries VENICE TV AWARD - Celebrating the Masterpieces of TV
IMZ International Music + Media Centre
The IMZ is happy to support the international VENICE TV AWARD which was launched to provide international recognition for quality TV content. Submission is still open until 30 June, awards are given out for 15 categories, including Performing Arts (Music, Dance, Theatre).
Getting Closer: Authentic Collaborations through Opera, Music and Dance
IMZ International Music + Media Centre
Join the upcoming RESEO Conference in partnership with La Monnaie / De Munt, taking place from 26-28 September in Brussels, Belgium.
