Music

MUSIC begins in the Greek mountains, where, on the night of his birth, a newborn is found in the aftermath of a fatal accident. Raised without knowing his parents, Jon grows up unaware of the events that shaped his life from the very beginning. Inspired by the myth of Oedipus, Angela Schanelec transforms an ancient tragedy into a quiet, enigmatic meditation on fate, chance and human connection. From there, MUSIC unfolds in elliptical leaps. Years later, Jon reappears, identifiable by the injuries to his feet, during what seems to be an ordinary summer outing with friends. Schanelec resists conventional storytelling, allowing scenes to connect through rhythm and emotion rather than clear causality. When Jon kills a stranger and is sent to prison, the film shifts toward his encounter with Iro, a prison guard who tends to his wounds and records music for him on an old cassette player. What follows is a story shaped by coincidence, loss, care and endurance, in which music becomes a means of communication rather than mere accompaniment. Schanelec's characters speak sparingly, their restrained performances matched by images that leave space for ambiguity and reflection. Water, touch and physical gestures carry much of the emotional weight, while echoes of Greek tragedy remain present without ever being reduced to direct explanation. MUSIC premiered in Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival 2023, where it received the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. Moving between Greece and Berlin, and weaving together mythology, music and everyday life, the film becomes a distinctive reflection on love, destiny and the ties that shape a life.