Fandango, portrait of an opera workshop – Manno Lanssens/Joy Bechtler (Antwerp, Belgium/Princeton, New Jersey)

The risks are great and the odds are against them. In this workshop in Kinshasa-Congo, talented singers share their passion to sing…opera. With Joy Bechtler, voice coach at Operanauts, Inc., they get a rare opportunity to hone their talents. Together, they work on opera scenes to perform at a local restaurant. If the evening is a success, it could help them organize against the social chaos of their native Kinshasa and develop satisfying careers. The film concludes as the singers learn they have been invited to perform their program again, this time with additional music, as part of the popular local music series Arty Live, hosted at a luxury hotel. For the singers, it’s a golden opportunity. The question is, with just 3 days’ notice, can this small group of workshop participants prepare an entire evening of opera music for the public? In English and French, subtitled. 2023; 30 min.