IDFA 2012
The Song of Life
Das Lied des Lebens
Irene Langemann
Germany
2012
89 min
World Premiere
While he was studying at the conservatory, German composer Bernhard König became fascinated with the "wrinkled and grumbly voices" of the elderly. From that moment on, he decided to dedicate himself to finding an environment in which those voices could be fully appreciated. follows König during two intriguing projects. In the Sonnenberg nursing home in Stuttgart, he gets elderly ladies and gentlemen to the piano or accordion and translates the stories of their past into modern arrangements. In Cologne, he leads a chorus of old men and women - if you're under 70, you need not try out - and together they put themes taken from their own lives to music. At a gradual pace, this stylized documentary captures how various compositions come to fruition, and how König - fascinated by this generation that was defined by the war - lovingly and patiently lets his elderly musicians shine. Poignant memories of youth and flashes of lives past are stirred up, while König and his protégés explore how certain feelings can best be translated into sound, achieving some truly touching results along the way.
Credits
Screening copy
Lichtfilm GmbH
Lichtfilm GmbH
Director
Production
Wolfgang Bergmann for Lichtfilm GmbH
Wolfgang Bergmann for Lichtfilm GmbH
Screenplay
Cinematography
Editing