FULL La forza del destino Documentary by Anissa Bonnefont La Scala Milan 2024 Anna Netrebko, Brian Jagde, Ludovic Tezier, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: La forza del destino Documentary by Anissa Bonnefont  
• Composer: Verdi Giuseppe  
• Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave  
• Venue & Opera Company: Teatro alla Scala, milano, Italy  
• Recorded: 2024
• Type: Other
• Singers: Anna Netrebko, Brian Jagde, Ludovic Tezier, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Alexander Vinogradov,
• Conductor: Riccardo Chailly   
• Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala  
• Chorus: Coro del Teatro alla Scala  
• Stage Director: Anissa Bonnefont  
• Stage Designer: FEDERICA PAROLINI  
• Costume Designer: SILVIA AYMONINO  
• Lighting Designer: ALESSANDRO VERAZZI  

Information about the Recording

• Published by: Federation Studios, MDE Films  
• TV Director: Anissa Bonnefont  
• Date Published: 2024  
• Format: Streaming
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: yessubs  

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

  On October 20, 2025 La Scala taped its story in a world premiere of the new documentary La forza del destino. In a 90-minute feature film, French director Anissa Bonnefont traces the events from first rehearsals to December 7, a journey of hard work, attention to detail, and overwhelming enthusiasm. La forza del destino is the first documentary co-produced by Rai Documentari and France Television, produced by Federation Studios and MDE, and the project will also be expanded to the big screen with international distribution starting in November, thanks to support from Rolex.

  “This project came about completely unexpectedly from a call for proposals found by Myriam Weil [producer and screenwriter, Ed.], and I quickly fell in love with it,” said the director. “I have always been passionate about opera and dance in particular, ever since I was a child, so the idea of filming at La Scala was a dream come true.”

  For three months, Anissa Bonnefont and her crew had access to the backstage areas, ateliers, and all areas of the theatre, working alongside Riccardo Chailly, director Leo Muscato, and the entire La Scala staff to document the developments of La forza del destino, which opened the 2024/2025 season.

  Behind the camera, they also required a certain amount of preparation, as Bonnefont explains: “We paid particular attention to choosing the right microphones, because it was essential that a documentary about opera always had the best possible sound recording.” Then, once they arrived at the theatre, filming began.

  “At first, we kept our distance from the staff and artisans at work and only gradually began to get closer, so that everyone could get used to our presence and even forget about the cameras, focusing solely on their work.”

  The focus of the documentary, in fact, is the enormous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes, often hidden but essential to the success of a performance.

  “In this respect, opera and cinema are similar. However, we wanted to bring at least part of that secret work to light and focus on the hundreds of people who work hard to make a show possible.”

  During the three months of filming, Bonnefont and her crew lived alongside the theatre’s workers and staff, filming their work almost daily, until they felt like they were part of the family. “When it was time to say goodbye to the theatre, I couldn’t hold back the tears,” confesses the director.

  Famous for her documentaries about the worlds of fashion and sports, Anissa Bonnefont goes behind the scenes at an opera house for the first time.

  “Unlike my previous documentaries, this time I didn’t follow the journey of a single individual but instead tried to tell the story of the whole theatre, with its codes, rules, and secrets. However, I found many points of intersection between fashion, sports, and opera: they are worlds in which hard, meticulous work is backed by intense passion.”

  Some of the most impactful moments for the director was the staging of the show in the theatre. “For weeks, each different group worked in their own studios, independently, creatively, and with the freedom to make mistakes and start over, reasoning together: a truly magical process. Then everyone comes together in the theatre, and it’s as if the stage is filled with the same, absolute energy. Soloists, orchestra, choir, set design, costumes—everything comes together. I found it extremely powerful.”

  The culmination of the journey was December 7, and Bonnefont did not limit herself to filming backstage at the theatre.

  “The premiere is also a social event, and we had a lot of fun filming among the audience. There were quite a few people dressed very eccentrically, as if they had stepped out of a bygone era. If you stop to think about it, though, it’s crazy to meet dozens, if not hundreds, of spectators who put so much effort into preparing for this evening, from makeup to attire, and that this effort is welcomed and respected in the context of the show.”

  The French director was also fascinated by the important role that La Scala’s opening night plays in Milanese life, with roadblocks, police deployments, inevitable protests, and above all, the widespread coverage of the opening night.

  “It is a moment of monumental importance not only for the world, but especially for Milan. During the premiere, I had several crews, some in the theatre, others in the Galleria to film all the spectators standing still, in the cold, watching the big screens, and even some at the San Vittore prison. Opera is often thought of as a spectacle for the elite, but in this case, it was clear that La Scala’s opening night is a spectacle for the entire city of Milan.”

  Alessandro Tommasi

   

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