The Paris Opera

L’Opéra, France/Switzerland 2017

“In this captivating documentary, Swiss director Jean-Stéphane Bron takes audiences inside one of the world’s great performing arts venues for one season, revealing the complex artistic collaborations at its heart… The film illuminates the backstage bustle of the Opéra National de Paris and the scores of artists, financiers, administrators, and patrons that make the whole endeavor possible…

Can the production designer safely get a 1,200-pound live bull onstage during a performance of Schoenberg’s Moses and Aaron? How far can ticket prices be lowered to combat the perceived elitism of the opera? Is Bryn Terfel available for a last-minute substitution in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg? A sense of barely contained chaos descends as labor unions strike, a precocious young bass-baritone debuts, and tensions arise between the corps de ballet and their improbably named choreographer, Benjamin Millepied. All the while, an army of polyglot chorists, stage managers, wig stylists, linen pressers, and makeup artists help shape the much-lauded performances.” — Paul Meyers, San Francisco International Film Festival