Guests on July 19: Ensemble Modern violinist Jagdish Mistry and director Thorsten Schütte

Germany 2026, 107 min., Rating: pending, Original version with subtitles

ENSEMBLE MODERN - WHY WE PLAY is the first feature-length documentary about one of the world’s leading ensembles for contemporary music. The film offers an intimate glimpse into the work of Ensemble Modern and follows the musicians not only on stage but, above all, during rehearsals—where music is created.
Through focused creative processes, we hear how a shared musical language takes shape: through exploration, rejection, and renewed engagement. The focus is on works by influential composers such as Rebecca Saunders, Heiner Goebbels, and Mark Andre, as well as the perspectives of a younger generation, including Brigitta Muntendorf and Milica Djordjevic. The film makes this process visible and tangible, while also offering insight into the artistic questions that shape contemporary music today. This paints a picture of the ensemble as a living organism—driven by individual artistic voices, collective precision, and ongoing collaboration with conductors such as Ingo Metzmacher and Enno Poppe.
Each year, Ensemble Modern rehearses and performs around 70 works, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is audible. ENSEMBLE MODERN - WHY WE PLAY presents music not merely as a performance, but as a process—and as a shared search for expression in our time.

Director: Thorsten Schütte
Screenplay: Thorsten Schütte
Cinematography: Thorsten Schütte, Ebrahim Alfadhala, Maud Mascré
Music: Ensemble Modern
Featuring the Ensemble Modern, Rebecca Saunders, Brigitta Muntendorf, and Heiner Goebbels