T H E R E D O R C H E S T R A

Documentary, 122’

Germany/Belgium/Israel, 2020

IN GERMAN CINEMAS FROM AUG 26th 2021

Director: Carl-Ludwig Rettinger

Production: Lichtblick Film / IOTA Production / Vice-Versa / Arte / RBB / RTBF

Distribution: farbfilm verleih

Music recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra

The Red Orchestra was the biggest anti-Nazi resistance  Group during World War II.

They printed illegal leaflets hoping to incite civil disobedience, helped Jews and opposition escape the regime, documented the crimes of the Nazi regime and forwarded intelligence to the Allies. Confronting images of films and series from both East- and West-Germany as well as interviews from these heroes' descendants, Carl-Ludwig Rettinger exposes the truth about this mythical spy net.

About my Score: I first thought working on a WW2 documentary was a bit tricky because of the sheer scope of the story, but the director Carl-Ludwig Rettinger pushed me to be as near as possible to the characters, their feeling, their ideas, their love affairs, and especially one of the main founders of the Red Orchestra, Leopold Trepper.

That led to the decision to have a rather small-sized orchestra, with piano as well as cimbalom, a Hungarian instrument. It brings to me this Eastern and 'film noir' sound and its bounciness underlines well how bold and courageous the members of the organization were. I based many musical themes on rhythms and ostinatos to reflect the way those people were always on the move in order not to get caught.

Also, some electronic and in particular Moog synth pads and percussions were a perfect match to the many images of the films shot in the 70s about the Red Orchestra and help bringing a modern view on the events.