Directed by Philippe Béziat • Documentary • 2022 • 109 minutes
Based on Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera-ballet that was directed by Clément Cogitore for the Opéra National de Paris.
In 2019, eight opera singers and 30 dancers from a wide variety of artistic and demographic backgrounds convened at Paris’s Opéra Bastille to begin work on an ambitious new production of Les Indes galantes, a cornerstone of French musical history. From the director of Becoming Traviata, Philippe Béziat’s documentary, Gallant Indies, captures the work of this multifaceted troupe under the direction of artist and filmmaker Clément Cogitore; together, they shepherd Rameau’s opera into the 21st century, while exquisitely and joyfully mirroring the true diversity of contemporary France. Replete with gorgeous melodies and fantastic dance numbers, Cogitore’s production integrates questions of racism, classism, and colonialism into a radical new staging that both honors and transforms the original text.
“The film serves as an invaluable tool for grasping the political scope of the project.” —Le Monde
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