An introduction to the world of French composer Maurice Ravel through The String Quartet in F major, performed by the Canadian ensemble Quatuor Arthur Leblanc. The four movements of the quartet are presented on screen by dance segments recreating key elements of the composer's life interspersed with documentary vignettes.
For two hundred years, the Shakers have been America's most successful utopian society. While seeking harmony, order and perfection in every aspect of their lives, they built minimalistic furniture and buildings that influenced modern design. The Shakers wrote songs of exquisite beauty and danced to the point of ecstasy during their religious meetings. Inspired by this music and dance, choreographer Tero Saarinen created Borrowed Light, a dance piece about communal life and individual sacrifice. Shot in Finland and the United States, featuring interviews and excerpts from Borrowed Light, this documentary explore the cultural legacy of this religious group devoted to creating heaven on earth.
An homage to Antonin Dvorák, one of the great composers of the late 19th century. Documentary vignettes are interwoven with music and dance tableaux shot among fairylike forests and countryside. These lively scenes stand as a poetic illustration of the composer's music and evoke his passion for trains and boats as well as the Slavic myths and lanscapes that inspired his works. Based on Dvorák's String Quartet no.10 in E Flat Major, opus 51.
Freely inspired by the life of the great Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, and more specifically by his romantic liaison with the celebrated French novelist George Sand, the film is structured around two mature works by the musician and writer: Sonata for Piano and Cello by Chopin and 'Story of My Life' by George Sand. The composer’s music is brought to life on screen through a choreographic staging where actors and dancers, who are seen alternately by themselves or in the company of musicians, attempt to recreate, within a symbolic decor, the universe inhabited by the two lovers.
