Ensemble Modern - Why We Play

The new documentary film ›Ensemble Modern – Why We Play‹ by director Thorsten Schütte has its world premiere at the Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt International on Thursday, April 30. Starting on May 9, the film will be screened at the DOK.fest in Munich before its national cinema release on June 11.

The documentary offers an extraordinarily close view of Ensemble Modern’s work and intense access to the world of contemporary music. The film captures the profoundly sensual atmosphere of the Ensemble’s rehearsals, showing not only the final result of the musicians’ work on stage, but the rough road leading there – the searching, discarding and joint agreement on a musical language. The genesis of current music becomes a visceral experience. ›Ensemble Modern – Why We Play‹ offers the audience insight into the motivation and personal struggle of the musicians and composers who fill this organism with life. This is a film which makes music not merely audible, but palpable as a profound human experience and collective effort.

»I would like this film to convey the creative intensity this collective of musicians keeps unleashing in their merging of instruments, electronics, bodies and voices. My main goal with this profound cinematic perspective is to demonstrate to the viewer the great diversity of musical forms of expression which the Ensemble performs daily,« says Thorsten Schütte.

Two of the film screenings are accompanied by brief concerts by Ensemble Modern. On April 30, Ensemble Modern plays an excerpt from ›Liberation Orchestra of Inverted Traditions‹ together with the Deggo Band from Senegal at the Eldorado in Frankfurt after the screening, which is part of the Lichter Filmfest. On May 10, it presents ›Upon an Ether Sea‹ together with the experimental artist Hainbach after the screening at the Bergson in Munich, which is part of the DOK.fest.

Festival screenings as part of the Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt
30 April, 5.30 pm, Frankfurt, Eldorado
Post-screening discussion with Thorsten Schütte. Following the film, the Ensemble Modern will give a short concert together with the Deggo Band.
3 May, 8.00 pm, Frankfurt, Mal Seh’n Kino

Festival screenings as part of the DOK.fest Munich
9 May, 8.00 pm, Munich, City 2
10 May, 6.00 pm, Munich, Bergson, featuring a performance by the Ensemble Modern
Following the film, the Ensemble Modern will give a short concert together with Hainbach.
11 May, 8 pm, Munich, HFF – Kino 1
14 May, 8 pm, Munich, Gasteig HP8 Projektor
16 May, 8 pm, Augsburg, Thalia Filmtheater

Nationwide cinema release: 11 June

Film website: https://arsenalfilm.de/ensemble-modern/index.html