Film Series
The Santa Fe Opera, in association with the Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA), presented a number of films related to the past 2008 Festival Season. Each film included a complimentary presentation prior to the screening designed to illuminate the subject and the connection to the past opera season. Plans for future films will be announced in late January.
Past screenings have included:
Farinelli
This Golden Glove-winning film follows the life of the famous opera singer of Handel's time. He was castrated to preserve his ethereal voice.
Beau Travail
This provocative film inspired by Herman Melville's Billy Budd, unfolds against stunning East African lanscapes, where jealousy of a promising young recruit threatens the delicate balance of a small troupe of French Foreign Legion soldiers.
The Magic Flute (U.S. Premiere)
Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of Mozart's opera, begins on the eve of the first global war and follows a pair of young lovers whose destiny may determine the fate of nations. Features Adriana Mater's Joseph Kaiser as Tamino.
Opera and the Bomb: A Symposium on Doctor Atomic
This film symposium featured director and librettist Peter Sellars' film version of the Netherlands Opera production of Doctor Atomic, based on the detonation of the first atomic bomb. Composed by John Adams, the Los Angeles Times describes Adams and Sellars collaboration as "a magnificent accomplishment..." An insightful panel discussion with Peter Sellars followed the film.