In the emails that they exchange (where Barbara says that she is “rather dispirited” at the thought that she will let him down, to which he replies that “we can’t get anywhere if we stay on familiar ground”) and during her rehearsals with pianist Stephen Gosling, the singer’s attempts to overcome fear and accept imperfections, while avoiding the clichés of the ever-suffering artist, come to life. By giving space to both doubt and intransigence and by seeking “another type of perfection”, the music born out of it is full of life, freedom and joy.
Zorn III (2018–2022) Zorn III (2018–2022)
Mathieu Amalric has been filming New York composer and saxophonist John Zorn for twelve years. This time, Zorn asked opera singer Barbara Hannigan to perform his song Jumalattaret, inspired by Finnish pagan goddesses.
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What's On
A Private Life Vie privée
Rebecca Zlotowski
Friday, 04. 09. 2026 / 15:45 / Main Hall
When prominent psychiatrist Lilian Steiner learns of the death of one of her patients, the news deeply shakes her. Convinced that it is a murder, she decides to investigate the matter.
Zejtune Żejtune
Alex Camilleri
Friday, 04. 09. 2026 / 18:00 / Main Hall
When Mar’s estranged mother passes away, she sees her way out of Malta by selling off her inheritance: three pieces of farmland in the countryside. On her journey to claim her land, she meets Nenu, a spirited 80-year-old għana singer whose vibrant folk music pulls her into the colourful traditions of the island she’s been so eager to escape… Directed by the Maltese-American filmmaker Alex Camilleri (Luzzu).
Bitter Christmas Amarga Navidad
Pedro Almodóvar
Friday, 04. 09. 2026 / 20:30 / Main Hall
Bitter Christmas tells two alternating stories. One takes place in 2004 and stars an advertising director Elsa during a long weekend in December. The other, set in the present, features Raúl, a cult director working on a new script. Soon we discover Raúl is writing about Elsa, her boyfriend Bonifacio, and her friends Patricia and Natalia… Almodóvar’s—always stylish—latest comes straight from Cannes!