Gloss of Darkness

In a woods filled with magic and fairy tale characters, a baker and his wife set out to end the curse put on them by their neighbor, a spiteful witch.

It’s summertime, 2021. Isabelle Huppert plays Lioubov, Chekhov’s unforgettably heroine in The Cherry Orchard. In a near theatre, Fabrice Luchini recites Nietzsche. Both actors are premiering at Avignon’s Festival. When they leave backstage to stand out on stage, they are completely transformed. As everything seems utterly natural, audience does not imagine what happened before. By following their daily lives during the weeks preceding the premieres, Benoît Jacquot brings a singular perspective of the two actors and shows them like we’ve never seen before.

Two-time Tony Award–winning composer Jeanine Tesori’s powerful new opera Grounded, commissioned by the Met and based on librettist George Brant’s acclaimed play, wrestles with the ethical quandaries and psychological toll of 21st-century warfare.

A young man seems to be dreaming of a reality different from the business he is about to take over and the married life that goes with it; he is drawn to the spicy life of a queer vaudeville troupe performing in his village.

The Queen of the Night has begged Prince Tamino to free her daughter Pamina from the clutches of the High Priest Sarastro, who has abducted her. Together with the bird-catcher Papageno, Tamino enters Sarastro's realm to seek her. When he finds her, the two fall in love, but they have to have to undergo ordeals before they can be together. At the end, Papageno is also rewarded with his Papagena.

Director Werner Herzog, one of the most highly acclaimed German film makers, joins forces with the great Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly to effect a masterful rendition of this rarely-performed opera involving spectacular scenes of alternating light and dark, pageantry and intimacy. Staged and recorded at Teatro Comunale di Bologna in Bologna, Italy.

A live performance of The Peter Adonis Traveling Fantasy Show burlesque show, taped at the Broadway Theater in Pitman, New Jersey.

Discovered by an eccentric ballet master, two gifted but underprivileged Mumbai teens face bigotry and disapproval as they pursue their dancing dreams.

Tom Selznick, the most talented pianist of his generation, stopped performing in public because of his stage fright. Years after a catastrophic performance, he reappears in public in a long awaited concert in Chicago. Just moments after starting his performance in the packed theater, in front of an expectant audience, Tom finds a threatening message written on the score: 'Play one wrong note and you die'. Without leaving the piano, Tom must discover the anonymous sniper's motives and look for help without anyone realizing.

After finding out that her husband, Rudi, has a fatal illness, Trudi Angermeier arranges a trip to Berlin so they can see their children. Of course, the kids don't know the real reason they're visiting -- and the catch is, neither does Rudi...

In this witty monologue, Quentin Crisp advises and opines about personal style (with a few digressions).

Here is the long-awaited stage adaptation of Atlus' super popular young adult RPG series, Persona! In order to fulfill the "rehabilitation" imposed upon him and save people from the wicked desires of the world, the protagonist becomes a Phantom Thief of Hearts, but how will he change the hearts of corrupt adults? While this story overflows with mystery and thrills, there's also exhilarating action and a sensitive depiction of the psychology of a group of young men and women as they forge deep bonds of friendship and grow together as people. The first installment, performed in December 2019.

hana –1970, Koza ga moeta hi–

The Rolling Stones historic and triumphant return to Hyde Park was without doubt the event of the summer. Over 100,000 delirious fans of all ages packed into the park for two spectacular outdoor concerts to watch Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood do what they do best. The Stones delivered a five star performance that had both fans and critics singing their praises. The set packed in hit after hit and saw the band joined by former guitarist Mick Taylor for a special guest appearance on two songs. This stunning concert film is the perfect way to celebrate the return of The Rolling Stones back where they truly belong: live on stage in their hometown.

The live version of Jeff Wayne's 1978 bestselling album was brought to the stage in 2006 as part of a sell-out tour of the UK. Filmed at London's Wembley Arena, and using a blend of theatre, music and visual imagery, the production incorporates performers from the original recording, including Justin Hayward, Chris Thompson and Wayne himself. There's also audio and visual elements featuring Richard Burton, as well as the ten-piece Black Smoke Band and the 48-piece Ulladubulla Strings.

Ankoku Butoh is a style of avant-garde dance that established itself in the counter culture experimental arts scene of post WWII Japan. The dance form is thought to have been founded by Tatsumi Hijikata, who both created and performed in butoh pieces from the late 1950’s - through the early 1970’s. In butoh, the style of movement is extremely stylized and deliberate, vacillating between slow and sharp, expressing feelings of dread, sexualization, violence, calmness, birth and “creatureness” among other things. This performance of Summer Storm was originally recorded in 1973 at Westside Auditorium, Kyoto University, Japan, and was Hijikata’s last public performance before his death in 1986 with Butoh of Dark Spirit School. Video version produced in 2003.

Peter Sempel's masterful poetic film tribute to butoh performer Kazuo Ohno.

A struggling actress tries to help a friend prove his innocence when he's accused of murdering the husband of a high-society entertainer.

A documentary about legendary butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno.

A live-action adaptation of Persona 4.