Gallant Indies

In 2019, eight opera singers and 30 dancers from a wide variety of artistic and demographic backgrounds convened at Paris's Ope´ra 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 Be´ziat's documentary captures the work of this multifaceted troupe under the direction of artist and filmmaker Cle´ment 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.