Netherlands 2022, 120 min, English, Dutch and German, Hebrew & English subtitles
The opera cycle “Licht”—thought to be the most ambitious and impracticable musical and theatrical production ever written—took Karlheinz Stockhausen 26 years to compose. With a run time of 29 hours, it requires the musicians to be able to act and includes helicopter choreography, among other things. Unsurprisingly, nobody has dared to even attempt to perform it fully, until, a decade after Stockhausen’s death, a Dutch orchestra took up the challenge. As it captures the many challenges of staging “Licht,” the film also spotlights Stockhausen himself. Nicknamed “Papa Techno,” the electronic music pioneer was an inspiration to many, including the Beatles, Zappa, and Bjork. His children, wives (some of whom lived with him concurrently), and colleagues describe an artist who was every bit as brilliant, impossible, and megalomaniacal as his opera.
Previous Festivals: CPH:DOX, Le Fifa
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