Social & External
On June 8, 2024, Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for a performance of Arthur Honegger’s oratorio Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher (Joan of Arc at the Stake), conducted by Alan Gilbert, performed at the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, Germany and broadcast live on Digital Concert Hall, the online concert hall of the Berliner Philharmonie. In the oratorio, Joan of Arc looks back on her life, her visions, and her successes during a show trial in which she is sentenced to be burned at the stake.
A look back at "La Cage aux Folles", which ran non-stop for five years, from February 1973, on the stage of the Théâtre du Palais Royal in Paris. At a time when homosexuality was considered a crime by the law, Poiret and Serrault achieved great success in boulevard theater. Their success continued on the silver screen, with three Oscar nominations and a Broadway musical. Combining never-before-seen archives from the play, extracts from the film, confessions by Poiret and Serrault, and interviews with witnesses, this is the story of a wild epic.
Written in 1865, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was a popular success. All British schoolchildren and their parents knew about the escapades of the young Alice. With a new score by Philip Glass, a figurehead of American minimalism, choreographers Amir Hosseinpour and Jonathan Lunn reimagine and reinvent Lewis Carroll's fantastical world. Freed from the original narrative, the dancers of the OnR Ballet play a new gallery of contemporary creatures and characters, joined by actress Sunnyi Melles.
The most popular Czech comic opera, with a libretto by Karel Sabina, marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana, in the current production of the National Theater in Prague. For more than 150 years, The Bartered Bride has dominated Czech opera. No one else, not even Smetana himself, has managed to surpass its popularity, which over the years has become part of our national DNA, so to speak. At the time of its creation in the 1860s, however, The Bartered Bride was actually quite a bold experiment – Bedřich Smetana and librettist Karel Sabina masterfully mocked all those who imagined "national opera" as an idyllic picture of the Czech countryside, where national virtues reign supreme.
The production was based on Ivan Olbracht's novel Nikola Šuhaj loupežník (Nikola Šuhaj the Robber). The music draws on Petr Ulrych's famous LP, which was released in 1974, won the Bílá vrána (White Crow) award from Mladý svět magazine, and subsequently inspired a production at Prague's Divadlo Ateliér theater. Among other things, the band Javory was formed on this occasion. The expanded band Javory also plays and sings in the 2002 production of the Brno City Theater, and additional musical numbers were created for it. Of the 25 numbers, more than half are new to the performance. Petr Ulrych won the A. Radok Award for his music. Director and author of the theatrical adaptation Stanislav Moša incorporated film footage into the production, which works wonderfully as a reminiscence of natural beauty. Also worth mentioning is the impressive choreography of the police and bandit choirs and the excellent acting and singing performances, led by Petr Štěpán in the lead role.
Twenty young actors are brought together for a creation lab to create a collective work at one of the great national theatres. Over a full year, they scour contemporary Québécois poetry to tap into the spirit of the times.
A musical by Ondřej Soukup and Gabriela Osvaldová, starring Lucie Bílá as Joan of Arc. Based on the legend of the French national heroine, the world-famous musical Joan of Arc was created. It became the biggest event on the Prague musical scene in 2000.
A live performance by Charlie Jimenez & Sioul Blaphate hosted as a pre-show to Rebel Reel CineClub's 'A Most Unholy Christmas' - a screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain (1973) at Rio Cinema, 17th December, 2024. The performance is a live-theatre and dance piece loosely inspired by Jodorowsky's film and its influenced source Mount Analogue. Through dance, masks, and live-theatre, Mount Analogue navigates a procession of ascension through transforming bodies and shapes. A primordial place of transformation, magic, and symbols.
Dancing through Slovak history of the twentieth century. Based on the Theatre du Campagnol performance "Le Bal" by Jean-Claude Penchenat, written by M. Huba and M. Porubjak. A dance locale - a place where people who are looking for partners come together. Lonely individuals become couples, people who were strangers not so long ago become partners and lovers. Outside, conditions change and regimes change, the country is overwhelmed by great history, the whirlwind of the World War, the communist coup, the hopeful spring of 1968, the fraternal occupation, the Hussite normalisation, November 1989 and the collapse of Czechoslovakia. Only those lonely dancers on the dance floor remain the same - with their human longings, their ridiculousness and their unfulfilled dreams.
The play S úsměvem idiota (With the Smile of an Idiot) by the duo Vodňanský-Skoumal was composed for the Činoherní klub theater and premiered on May 19, 1969. It was performed with great success until 1973, when administrative measures prevented the duo V+S from performing. The play was never recorded in its entirety. This was only achieved thirty years later, when the duo returned to the Činoherní klub with the play S úsměvem idiota. The recording is a selection of the best works by the successful songwriting duo. We remember the songs "Aristocrat," "Marshals," "At the Opera in La Scala," "Grizzly," and others, as well as their original style of humor, on the sad occasion of the death of composer, pianist, and occasional lyricist Petr Skoumal.
From Adam to the Three Kings is the subtitle of the dance comedy Slovak Christmas with SĽUK. A traditional opus as a comedy about the creation of the world and what came after.
Smetana's penultimate opera premiered on September 18, 1878, at the New Czech Theater. At the National Theater itself, it was staged in the 20th century, for example, from 1980 and 1983, respectively. The 2006 production in the second courtyard of the Litomyšl Castle, which was filmed by Czech Television, is characterized by a minimalist set with an imaginative neon silhouette of Bezděz Castle, as well as the fact that, with two exceptions, all the singers were performing their roles for the first time. Tenor Pavel Černoch, who at that time still had his international career ahead of him, excelled in the role of Vít... Since its creation, The Secret has been considered Smetana's most perfect and mature opera. Even the overture is a remarkably composed and superbly constructed masterpiece. After this successful premiere in Litomyšl, the performance became part of the repertoire of the National Theater.
Live broadcast of an acrobatic light show by a Czech contemporary circus troupe from the end of the Letní Letná festival... The Czech troupe Losers Cirque Company is definitely on par with many foreign troupes in the field of contemporary circus. This is evidenced by the highly successful premiere of the performance Kolaps (Collapse), which took place at the end of the Letní Letná festival on August 31, 2017. The great strength of Kolaps lies not only in its physical and acrobatic perfection, but also in its subtle humor, play with light, and live music. That is why this amusing performance, which depicts human life from birth to death, is returning to Letní Letná this year. Czech Television is delighted to be involved, not least because it will be the first complete performance by a Czech company in this genre to be shown on our screens.
T. Dianiška's documentary fiction from behind the scenes of the assassination of R. Heydrich, in which the real story is intertwined with comic exaggeration, pop culture references, and harsh humor. 294 Brave Men was written by Tomáš Dianiška for the Divadlo po Palmovkou theater, where he also staged it with the local ensemble. As the title of the play suggests, the protagonists of Operation Anthropoid are not the main heroes in this case. 294 Brave Men refers to the people from the domestic resistance who paid with their lives for helping the paratroopers and whose names are now borne by streets in Libeň and the surrounding Prague districts. T. Dianiška treats historical facts with respect, but at the same time quite freely, and he depicts the background of "the greatest heroic deed in our history" with the help of humor, often very dark humor.
Higgins, a professor of phonetics, makes a bet that he will transform a child of the street - a poor flower seller named Lisa - into a real lady. However, a seemingly innocent game of male whimsy becomes a dangerous gamble with a woman's identity and personality...
Emily and Henry are two elderly actors whose marriage has lasted 45 years. In their modest suburban apartment, they are preparing for the annual highlight of the year, the Academy Awards ceremony. Both hope that their life's work will finally be recognized. They nervously discuss appropriate attire, quote from famous theater roles, including those they probably never played, argue, and make up. When Jeff from the delivery service brings them lunch, they finally have the audience they have been missing for so many years. Although Jeff brings them lunch every day and is, so to speak, part of the family, this time he surprises them greatly.
A theater director and a young director await an actress’s decision on a role, triggering a scathing critique of how TV’s degraded practices and commercial pressures marginalize true artistry. Through the director’s expansive monologue, inspired by Juraj Kukura’s ethos, he reflects on his life in culture, his convictions about theater, colleagues, and the survival of artistic integrity in today’s climate.
In this concert film, 'Hannah Montana' star Miley Cyrus performs a slew of hit songs, including 'Just Like You' and 'Life's What You Make It.'
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
"One Direction: This Is Us" is a captivating and intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon. Weaved with stunning live concert footage, this inspiring feature film tells the remarkable story of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis' meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London’s famed O2 Arena. Hear it from the boys themselves and see through their own eyes what it's really like to be One Direction.
A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.
Spike Lee pays tribute to Michael Jackson's Bad on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the epochal album, offering behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson recording the album and interviews with confidants, musicians, choreographers, and such music-world superstars as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey.
Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year.
Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, and other rock legends.
A musical study of Los Angeles in the late 90s, where homeless teens roam the streets and profess to live a punk lifestyle of music, drugs, and flouting authority.
See Michael Jackson, one of the most recognizable and popular entertainers of all time, like never before in the feature-length tribute Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon. Known to millions of fans worldwide for his record-breaking albums, groundbreaking music videos, mesmerizing dance moves and humanitarian efforts, his true story has never really been told...until now. This unprecedented look into the King of Pop's fascinating life includes all-new interviews with his mother Katherine Jackson as well as siblings Tito and Rebbie Jackson, family, friends and music legends such as Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick and many more.
Through concert performances and interviews, this film offers us a comprehensive look at the British pioneer rock group, The Who. It captures their zany craziness and outrageous antics from the initial formation of the group in 1964 to 1978. It notably features the band's last performance with long-term drummer Keith Moon, filmed at Shepperton Studios in May 1978, three months before his death.
Pull back the curtain on the remarkable history of six decades of James Bond music, from Sean Connery’s Dr No through to Daniel Craig’s final outing in No Time to Die.
Giving fans unprecedented access to the real life of the music sensation, Katy Perry: Part of Me exposes the hard work, dedication and phenomenal talent of a girl who remained true to herself and her vision in order to achieve her dreams. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes interviews, personal moments between Katy and her friends, and all-access footage of rehearsals, choreography, Katy’s signature style and more, Katy Perry: Part of Me reveals the singer’s unwavering belief that if you can be yourself, then you can be anything.
SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film's director and interviewer Ice-T. Taking us on a deeply personal journey Ice-T uncovers how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets a whole spectrum of Hip-Hop talent, from founders, to new faces, to the global superstars like Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting many of its most famous protagonists, studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal 'The Art Of Rap'. This extraordinary film features unique performances from the entire cast, without resorting to archive material, to build a fresh and surprising take on the phenomenon that is Rap.
In a warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain more than 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of this city.
Grammy® winner singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo takes a familiar road trip from Salt Lake City, where she began writing her debut album “SOUR,” to Los Angeles. Along the way, Rodrigo recounts the memories of writing and creating her record-breaking debut album and shares her feelings as a young woman navigating a specific time in her life. Through new live arrangements of her songs, intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage from the making of the album, audiences will follow Olivia along on a cinematic journey exploring the story of “SOUR.”
Global superstar Jennifer Lopez reflects on her multifaceted career and the pressure of life in the spotlight in this intimate documentary.
From humble roots as pastor's sons in New Jersey, through their meteoric rise to fame, the Jonas Brothers' bond was unshakeable-until a surprising and painful breakup led Joe, Kevin and Nick down very different paths. With deeply personal interviews, previously unreleased footage and exclusive music, this is the Jonas Brothers as never seen before.
Live Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: watched live by an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations. "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid...!"
A behind-the-scenes documentary about the recording of Aretha Franklin's best-selling album finally sees the light of day more than four decades after the original footage was shot.
