Bettina Ehrhardt

“How did you do it, Mr. Haefliger?“ We look behind the scenes of Michael Haefliger’s final summer at the Lucerne Festival. A violinist himself, he has shaped the festival for 26 years as Artistic Director. The film reveals the special bond between Haefliger, his team and the artists – a rare form of communication that is an art in itself: creating the space and conditions for artists to give their best.

One hundred years of new departures, discoveries, risks, and challenges for the ears of the audience. The film tells the century-long history of the Donaueschingen Music Days (1921-2021), the world's first festival devoted to contemporary music, and still the most significant today.

'On Being Human as Praxis' is the world premiere of a performance by the English singer Elaine Mitchener, recorded at the Donaueschingen Music Days in October 2020. It was the only performance we were able to film that year; shortly afterwards, the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. The performance takes its title from Sylvia Wynter: On Being Human as Praxis, a critical genealogy of works by the Jamaican feminist writer and cultural theorist, edited by Katherine McKittrick.