Documentary "Every note you play" in cinemas | Improvisation meets routine

Without music, life would be a mistake." This is what Friedrich Nietzsche said, who was not only a philosopher but also – quite remarkably – a composer. You always make music first for yourself, then for others – this is the starting point to which the festival in the small town of Monheim am Rhein feels committed. Music here begins with listening to your own rhythm, the tempo at which your own life moves. And in doing so, boundaries are repeatedly crossed, when things that initially seem mutually exclusive combine in unusual ways – creating a sound all their own.

Of course, this is always, at its core, an experiment. The music of existence cannot be consumed or sold like a product – it is part of a process in which self-knowledge and world-knowledge are connected. This is the starting point of the Monheim Triennial, which is taking place for the second time this summer. The first time, 16 experimental musicians from all over the world were invited to a boat on the banks of the Monheim river. The idea was to bring something together here: the avant-garde and urban society. In times when musical education in schools is considered dispensable, this seems like a remarkable initiative, one that goes back to Monheim's mayor, Daniel Zimmermann.

And director Mika Kaurismäki was brought in to make a film about the Monheim Triennial, one that would capture the spirit of this small festival. Mika Kaurismäki is the brother of Aki Kaurismäki, one of the world's most innovative directors. In 1989, Kaurismäki made "Leningrad Cowboys go America," a road movie about a fictional rock band from Siberia that, faced with continued lack of success in its own country, decides to move to the USA and eventually ends up in Mexico, where it actually succeeds. An absurd story, told with delightful ludicrousness and the real-life punchline that the unsuccessful band from the film subsequently became a cult band. But Mika Kaurismäki has also made a number of remarkable music documentaries, including "Moro no Brasil" (2002) and "Mama Africa" ​​(2011) about the South African singer Miriam Makeba.

The music of existence cannot be consumed or sold like a product.

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Engaging Mika Kaurismäki for a documentary about the Monheim Triennale ensures the festival enormous attention. The key word here is improvisation. There are folk, jazz, but also electronic elements and modern chamber music, which combine to create a new sonic experience. Because music is first and foremost sound, simply put: a noise to which we react. This becomes the starting point for three experimental days in which the relatively small community of experimental musicians, for example, with students from the Monheim Gymnasium, will take to the stage to jointly invent new music. Heiner Goebbels from Germany will be there, known for his truly revolutionary performance practice in musical theater. And Shahzad Ismaily from New York, who speaks of the "musical spirit" that gives life meaning.

Of course, a festival like the one in Monheim bucks the prevailing trend toward commercialization, with ever-larger forums designed to fulfill self-generated expectations of ever-increasing celebrities on stage and in the audience. An event must grow, otherwise it's not an event! But Monheim aims for something different: to remain open to discoveries, even in small ways. Expectations are thwarted; no one knows at the beginning what the end result will be. This is a much more interesting concept—but one that is less catchy and requires the audience's willingness to engage with new sound experiences. Can you show the moment when music is created? Kaurismäki tries, but the special moment is more often hidden than revealed.

Ultimately, it's always a question of the energy that is created between stage and audience—or not. It remains an experiment with an open outcome. While music is a universal language, it may not be understood in a particular place at a particular time. This experience is part of a festival like this. Reiner Michalke, the artistic director of the Monheim Triennale, seeks a connection between art and politics—and finds it here in Monheim in an ideal way. His credo: "In a smaller town, it's easier to increase concentration." But how long will Monheim be able to afford such an exclusive festival?

Mika Kaurismäki's "Every Note You Play" isn't concerned with background information of this or any other kind. He focuses on individual musicians, presenting them one after the other in their uniqueness. But will this be a film for a broad audience? No, more likely for a small audience already involved in the subject. One also can't quite shake the impression that this is a solid, but not particularly inspired, promotional film for the Monheim Festival.

"Every Note You Play": Germany 2024. Directed and written by Mika Kaurismäki. 82 min. Now in theaters.