The singer Googoosh was a cult figure and pop icon in Iran in the 1960s and 70s who rose to international fame. Put under house arrest after the revolution, her career lay dormant for more than 20 years before her astonishing comeback in 2000. Her moving story makes her a voice of resistance and a symbol of hope.
Daniel Hope is one of the greatest violinists of our age: an internationally-celebrated star, who is part of the avant-garde of a new, young generation of classical musicians. His biography is a story of an extraordinary career, a story of escape, expulsion and desire for self-discovery.
He was an icon, flamboyant pianist, egomaniac, showman par excellence: Liberace – the King of Bling – enjoyed an unparalleled career. The salon pianist turned megastar lived the American dream, but it was a life of unmatched paradox and eccentricity.
The hihgly talented composer Johannes Brahms was a close friend of Clara and Robert Schumann. International music critics put his work on a par with Beethoven’s. The docudrama combines dramatic re-enactments with documentary sequences, painting a vivid picture of Brahms’s musical pursuits and private life.
Edgar Froese, electronic music pioneer and founder of the band Tangerine Dream, was on a lifelong mission to find the ultimate sound. His search brought the band international acclaim and took them to the studios of Hollywood. We trace the unique Tangerine Dream story: a tribute to the musician, who died in 2015, and to the era of electronic music.
From rock star to politician: Freddy Lim is Taiwan’s most political heavy metal singer, progressing from passionate stage performer to active member of parliament. We follow him during the early days of his political career and show him campaigning tirelessly for a democratic Taiwan.
When, almost 10 years ago, a kohl-eyed androgynous kid from East Germany and his teenage band TOKIO HOTEL cast a spell on German adolescents, no-one ever imagined this would be the start of a unique world career. A close-up portrait of a band that has grown up and follows its own, highly individual path.
What happens when dreams grow up? A music drama about a group of youths from the north German provinces who make it to LA with their garage band – but fail disastrously. They grow up, finally overcome their personal demons and make music again. And they stay friends.
A song contest behind bars. Drug dealers, thieves and murderers jailed in Russia’s many prisons sing about homesickness, love, war and forgiveness. They all dream of taking part in the traditional Kalina Krasnaya contest. A film about the harsh reality of life behind bars but also the unique power music.
Ella Fitzgerald’s voice is a phenomenon and unrivalled to this day. She had absolute pitch and perfect intonation. With statements from numerous singers, musicians and critics, this film pays tribute to ‘The First Lady of Song’ and especially to her voice – on what would have been her 100th birthday on 25 April 2017.
Her life has been the subject of countless myths and rumours: April 7, 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Billie Holiday (1915-1959). A worthy occasion to honour the unforgettable jazz icon. We call into question many of the myths and reveal a strong a woman who was anything but a pitiful victim of drugs, men or her skin colour.
From psychedelic rock in the 1960s and the 1970s’ punk movement to the gloomy dark wave of the 1980s and gangsta rap in the 1990s: artists from the various decades explain their relationship with dying and death.
