From May 6 to 25, 2026, DOK.fest Munich opens up a view of the world and shows over 100 current international documentary films. Beyond the daily news coverage, the films provide insights into diverse worlds. The Bergson Kunstkraftwerk is one of the 2026 venues - we are delighted to be able to present a total of four selected films in this year's edition.

On May 10, we will show you the film "WHY WE PLAY - ENSEMBLE MODERN"

“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 working processes, we hear how a shared musical language takes shape: through searching, discarding, and revisiting. 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 shaping contemporary music today. In the process, a picture emerges of an ensemble as a living organism — driven by individual artistic vision, collective precision, and continuous collaboration with conductors such as Vimbayi Kaziboni, Ingo Metzmacher, and Enno Poppe. Each year, Ensemble Modern rehearses around 70 works, repeatedly venturing into unusual and experimental soundscapes. ENSEMBLE MODERN – WHY WE PLAY presents music not merely as a performance, but as a process—and as a collective search for a musical language for our time.

Germany, 2025, Thorsten Schütte, 100 min., original German version.

Admission: 17:30

Start: 18:00

End: 19:50

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