PL

2023

70 min,

52 min

Finished

Pianoforte

Directing: Jakub Piątek

Synopsis

During the preliminary round, there are 160 of them. Then, about 80. And 40. At last, only 10 lucky ones make it to the final. The protagonists of Pianoforte are young people from around the world and participants of the Chopin Competition held every five years in Warsaw. This is the oldest competition of this importance and the only monographic contest dedicated to Chopin’s music.
Its renown has resulted from a record number of pianist celebrities who participated in the Competition when they were young: from Dmitri Shostakovich awarded with an honourable mention, to Martha Argerich, Maurizio Pollini, Daniil Trifonov, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dang Thai Son, and finally to Krystian Zimerman. The Competition involves powerful emotions, both on stage and in the audience. It is an exceptional chance that happens once in a lifetime. The protagonists, whose lives have revolved around playing the piano since their childhood, are like athletes at the Olympic Games, in which the stakes are their future.
Our story focuses on a few characters. We watch them during the preliminary round, which takes place a few months before Stage 1, the competition struggle in Warsaw in October 2021, and the emotional reverberation after the event’s final. We observe the young pianists at home, in private, while they prepare for the Competition. Some of them will be eliminated, others will get to the final, perhaps someone will win one of the prestigious awards. Yet, everyone’s path will be unique. Pianoforte is a coming-of-age documentary and an emotional rollercoaster with Chopin’s music in the background.

Articles

IDF alumni Pianoforte just won an Emmy Award
26. 11. 2024

IDF alumni Pianoforte just won an Emmy Award

EAST DOC PLATFORM
Pianoforte, an intimate coming-of-age portrait of young pianists, that was part of East Doc Platform 2022, just won Best Arts Programming Emmy at the 52nd International Emmy Awards! Huge congratulations to Jakub Piątek, Maciej Kubicki and the whole team.
read more
Films supported by the IDF at CPH:DOX
27. 2. 2023

Films supported by the IDF at CPH:DOX

EX ORIENTE FILM EAST DOC PLATFORM EAST SILVER EAST DOC FORUM
CPH:DOX has unveiled the program of the 2023 edition. It includes 6 films supported by the Institute of Documentary Film: Blix Not Bombs, Disturbed Earth, Motherland, Pianoforte, The Hamlet Syndrome and Yoyogi.
read more
True Story, episode 42: Pianoforte
3. 7. 2022

True Story, episode 42: Pianoforte

EAST DOC PLATFORM Interview TRUE STORY PODCAST ONLINE
With director Jakub Piątek and producer Maciej Kubicki about their project Pianoforte, an intimate coming-of-age portrait of young pianists taking part in the legendary International Chopin Piano Competition.
read more
East Doc Platform 2022 Winners Announced
31. 3. 2022

East Doc Platform 2022 Winners Announced

EAST DOC PLATFORM
The East Doc Platform Award went to the Polish project The World is not (a) Mine by Natalia Koniarz, while the Ukrainian project Up in the Air by Oksana Syhareva has two awards including HBO Max Award. See the awarded projects and juries statements.
read more
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more.