Lucrezia Borgia - Teatro degli Arcimboldi

One of the composer's most beguiling scores, La Favorite is Gaetano Donizetti's La favorita in it's original French form; a tale of love and war that represents a glorious mix of Italian bel canto and 19th c. grand opera. Vincent Boussard's arresting Toulouse production does full justice to this newly renewed masterpiece. Three international principals take on the work's demanding roles: Chinese tenor Yijie Shi is a 'revelation' as Fernand, the rich-toned, authoritative French baritone Ludovic Tezier as King Alphonse XI and lauded American mezzo Kate Aldrich - 'the Carmen of this generation' - plumbing the emotional depths of Leonor's music. Conductor and bel canto specialist Antonello Allemandi adds to the passionate proceedings onstage. Maestro Allemandi demonstrated full authority over the stage for the musically complex scenes, and in the arias and duets demonstrated his confidence in the singers by establishing ample tempos to support their soaring vocal lines.

Madama Butterfly - Teatro alla Scala

Giordano: Andrea Chénier - Teatro alla Scala

Anna Bolena - Reate Festival di Rieti

Gennaro, the son of Lucretia Borgia, lives unaware of the identity of his mother, who has married the Duke of Ferrara. After Lucretia's brother is killed by five conspirators, the fathers of Gennaro's dearest friends, Lucretia tortures the old men to death. Later, Gennaro and his companions journey to Lucretia's domain, and she sees her son for the first time. The Duke, who believes him to be her lover, poisons him, but Lucretia administers the antidote in time and saves his life. Then she schemes to poison her sons' five friends for their fathers' mistake.

In his 'new life' as a baritone, Placido Domingo has triumphed in the role of Francesco Foscari in Los Angeles, London and Vienna. Now he takes to the role to La Scala, Milan, the theatre that is the symbol of Italian opera. I due Foscari, premiered in 1844, famously one of Verdi's darkest operas, is staged by Alvis Hermanis, who made such an impact at the Salzburg Festival with "Die Soldaten" and "Il trovatore". Domingo is joined by two of Italy's most exciting singers, the soprano Anna Pirozzi and the tenor Francesco Meli, and the acclaimed Italian conductor Michele Mariotti. The Financial Times was deeply moved by Domingo's performance, calling his interpretation of the role "sublime".

Rossini: La Gazza Ladra - Teatro alla Scala

Six Italian directors explore contemporary Milan in a rich and eclectic portrait of urban life and spaces—both rooted in history and bursting with a diversity of architecture and humanity.

The incredible story of the Pope’s daughter Lucrezia Borgia takes place during one of the most scandalous periods of the Renaissance. Under the scheming rule of her father, Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia is deliberately used by him and her brother for political ends and later slandered as a poisoner and incestuous femme fatale. But who was the real Lucrezia?

Lucrèce Borgia, une femme au Vatican

This is a film about old fashioned Bulgarian customs and moral rules. A pre-arranged marriage of two children is no obstacle to true love.

Frivolous girl falls in love with a young construction worker. He trusts her and decides to include her in his team of workers. In the beginning, she is happy, but soon starts to feel the tensions between the people in the team. Hypocrisy and demagogy fill her with indignation and she does not keep silent about the shortcomings and mistakes of her colleagues. Gradually, her superiors become uneasy about her and the girl has to go. Her boyfriend offers her marriage, but she decides to take her own path and lead a worthy life. The movie was shot in 1966 but was censored by the communist government and released in theatres on 31st October 1988.

Impersonating a knight is one of the favorite games of nine-year-old protagonist. Now as Don Quixote, now as D'Artagnan he is fighting evil, he is searching for justice and defending the weak. Together with his friends, packed in cardboard armor, they play all day long. As he is playing, however, he unwittingly witnesses the relation between his parents and gradually comes to understand that the world of the adults is far removed from the canons of knightly honor. His parents love him, but never seem to find the time to listen to his concerns. The deceit, corruption and lack of respect in his own family alienate the small boy. The only adult, whom the boy trusts, is his uncle to whom he is attached by a genuine, equal, man-to-man friendship. He takes him to the cinema and theater performances and talks to him like with his peer. Will this sensitive kid ever succeed in building an internal armor against selfishness and rudeness?

Born in a small village, Yordan has to live and work in the nearby town. Only on the weekends can he return to his native village. He travels by a bike and observes the nature and the animals around him with overt sadness. In the village arrives a young pharmacist and she rents his house. Soon both of them fall in love. In order to be near her, Yordan tries to persuade his colleagues to move one of the workshops from the plant to the village. But they are all used to living in the town now and decline his offer. Yordan realizes that he cannot demand impossible things.

A surrealistic comedy-drama about a school shooting as seen through the eyes of a socially awkward college student named Jay. Walt Whitman, the shooter, is loosely based on Charles Whitman, but the film is not in any way a factual account of the 1966 shootings at the University of Texas.

There were times when stealing girls in these lands has been a worthy vocation, was a habit and a sort of custom in Bulgaria. Only the strongest and most experienced men took the profession up. A young and brave Bulgarian highlander was given the job to bring, no matter how, a certain beautiful girl to be married to somebody.

Boev, an enthusiastic form master, is trying hard to establish rapport with his final-year students. His frankness, buoyancy and good nature soon make him a universal favorite. The only one who does not approve of him is headmaster who loves his job, but is not aware of how dated his own views are and cannot understand the young teacher. Apart from this, Boev comes in into particularly sharp conflict with his colleague and childhood chum Kiril who is consumed by jealousy and the ambition to get promoted quickly.

Muthaiya, a male Karagattam dancer, falls in love with Kamakshi, a female Karagattam dancer. But circumstances prevent them from confessing their love for one another and the lives of two artist families locked in a feud.

This is a psychological whodunit. The action is tense and there are many ups and downs. Vas, a young militiaman, has to pose as a ex-prisoner and infiltrate an international gang of smugglers at work in Bulgaria. Vas is involved in shady deals: in a web for smuggling drugs. The traffic in drugs is perfectly organized, every one along the chain is being checked up and shadowed. An elderly gentlemen, a harmless nuisance on the face of it, turns out to be one of the bosses. Vas's role as a double agent, in doing his efforts to become a trusted man among the dangerous criminals, faces him with many trials and he risks his life on several occasions. And no matter how strange it may appear, it is among these people that Vas meets the girl he falls in love with. A beautiful girl is tangled in the traffic web. She also falls in love with Vas. Just like the audience, the girl Sunny is not aware of the true personality of Vas in the racket.

The Best Person I Know!