DIRECTOR & SCREENWRITER
Anna Schmidt

PRODUCER
schmidtFilm , Departures Film (Co-Producer)

CAMERA
Axel Schneppat

CUT
Martin Schröder

LIVING BACH is a production of schmidtFilm in co-production with Departures Film and Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), in cooperation with ARTE and with the support of Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM), Deutscher Filmförderfonds (DFFF) and Sächsische Landesanstalt für privaten Rundfunk und neue Medien (SLM).

Distributed by: Weltkino. Distribution worldwide: EuroArts.

There are over 300 Bach choirs and Bach ensembles worldwide, most of which are amateur ensembles. For many, their lives are inextricably linked with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

What do people seek and find in his music? What connects them across continents? What fascination lies in the music of the famous German composer, which manages to transcend borders, cultures, religions and centuries?

The film embarks on a journey through six continents to meet amateur musicians and singers who have made Bach their “centerpiece”. They live in Japan, Paraguay, the USA, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, have different cultures, religions, realities of life and yet they are all united by one great passion: Johann Sebastian Bach.

LIVING BACH tracks down these enthusiasts and reveals extraordinary, exciting and life-changing relationships with Bach’s incomparable work. We meet people for whom Bach’s music brings joy, comfort, hope or understanding. Regardless of culture, origin and financial circumstances, they are all united by an almost identical set of values. They are strong, interesting and multi-layered characters who don’t use clichés. They integrate cultural influences without denying their own. In June 2022, the protagonists will meet at the world’s largest Bach Festival in Leipzig.

“Living Bach” is a carefully composed film made up of very different voices that come together in the end to create something that humanity so often lacks – namely community, beyond language, origin, gender, religion, culture and social status. The film interweaves the modern stories of different people from all parts of the world and shows that diversity does not divide, but is a strength. With impressive images and the magical sounds of Bach, the journey becomes a unique work in search of Bach’s universal secret.

A film about people, values and cultures – and the music and magic of Johann Sebastian Bach, which has an impact around the globe.