WE ARE THE ORCHESTRA

(Nous l’orchestre)

West Coast Premiere | France | 2026 | Documentary, Musical | 90 min | In French with English subtitles

Directed by: Philippe Béziat
Written by: Philippe Béziat
Produced by: Philippe Martin (Les Films Pelléas)
Cinematography: Raphaël O’Byrne, Thomas Rabillon
Film Editing: Henry-Pierre Rosamond
Cast: Klaus Mäkelä, Herbert Blomstedt, Daniel Harding, Elim Chan, Orchestre de Paris
International Sales: Pyramide International
US Distributor: Outsider Pictures
US Release Date: TBA

Synopsis

Documentary maestro Philippe Béziat takes us on yet another musical excursion, this time into the very heart of the Orchestre de Paris, under the baton of wunderkind Klaus Mäkelä, to reveal what it actually feels and sounds like to be part of a perfectly synchronized, 120-person musical force of nature. Musicians share both the thrill and frustrations of being an artist within such a rigid, work-a-day structure, sitting side-by-side, year after year, with colleagues who may not see eye-to-eye, yet somehow manage to find the chemistry required to play in perfect unison. Also, the music is nothing short of sublime.

Director’s bio

Philippe Béziat has directed numerous music- and opera-related documentaries and TV movies, beginning with his early shorts Le JT Petit Opéra (1997), inspired by John Adams’ Fearful Symmetries, and Musica da camera (2004), based on the music of George Crumb. His feature-length films include Les contes d’Hoffman (2008), documenting Olivier Py’s staging of the Offenbach opera; Pelléas et Mélisande (2012), a chronicle of Robert Wilson’s staging of the Debussy opera; Le phénomène “Quatre Saisons” (2012), featuring mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli; Becoming Traviata (COLCOA 2013), featuring renowned French coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay; and Gallant Indies (Winner Best Documentary COLCOA 2021), the exhilarating pairing of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s baroque opera with freestyle street dance.