The ARTE documentary Being Black at the Opera opens the discussion on the history and future of an evolving institution, in the presence of the artists and the film crew.
This evening offers a journey through time and into the future, in order to discover the major stages in the history of opera, its cultural influence over the centuries, an overview of the present and exciting prospects for its future. Sylvie Chalaye will guide us through the key moments of its evolution, while dancers and musicians will share their experiences, their visions and their hopes to imagine the Opera of tomorrow.
The screening of the documentary Being Black at the Opera will be followed by a meeting hosted by Victorine de Oliveirajournalist at Philosophie Magazine, on the evolution of the Paris National Opera through the ages. In the presence of:
- Guillaume Diopstar dancer of the Paris National Opera
- Sulivan Loiseaudouble bassist at the Paris National Opera also
- Sylvie Chalayehistorian and anthropologist
- and the film crew.
Being black at the Opera
On March 11, 2023, Guillaume Diop was named star dancer, following a performance of Giselle. A first for the Paris Opera which had never granted this title to a black man. Maintaining his rank as a soloist and symbol of diversity: the pressure is double for this young mixed race, co-author in 2020 of a manifesto on racial discrimination at the Paris Opera. Leaving plenty of room for dance, this intimate documentary follows him over a season. It also focuses on the experience of double bassist Sulivan Loiseau, the only Black woman in the orchestra, and recounts the velvet revolution taking place from Bastille to Garnier.
Documentary by Virginie Plaut and Youcef Khemane (France, 2024, 57mn) – Co-production: ARTE France, Izzy B. Productions
Belgium
