Roderick Cox

Hélène Grimaud, recognized as one of the greatest pianists of her generation, has amazed the whole world with her technical mastery, emotional expressiveness, and unwavering passion for music. In this documentary, David Serero takes us on a captivating journey through Grimaud's personal and professional life, revealing the key moments that shaped her exceptional career.

When a sharp-tongued court jester Rigoletto is cursed for his spiteful words, he is forced to hide his unworldly daughter Gilda from his own licentious master the Duke. For Verdi’s wonderful ambivalent hunchback, paradise is the peaceful home and family that he struggles to protect. Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie’s production of Verdi’s opera confronts the two faces of Rigoletto: that of the loving father-monster who locks up his daughter from the very first scene, and his alter ego, the modern-day buffoon. While the latter, like a comedian alone on stage, sneers at power and the elite, the former reveals his darkest fears and persecution complex.