Brundibár

To look after their sick mother, two orphans decide to sing in the market square to earn money to buy milk. But the cruel Brundibár chases after them to prevent them from doing so. It will take the help of street children, a bird, a cat and a clever dog to defeat the tyrant.

Behind the title Brundibár lies one of 20th century opera's most tragic chapters. Created in secret in a Prague orphanage in 1942, Hans Krása's opera was performed several times in the Terezín concentration camp, giving rise to a documentary. Alas, the film was exploited for propaganda purposes by the Nazis, who used it to mislead the visiting Red Cross International Committee.

Directors Suzie Baret-Fabry and Pénélope Driant revisit the tale in the harsh light of history. Working with a group of children and teenagers aged six to sixteen, they turn this work into a song of resistance against oppression.