Kaprálová

In 1937, 22-year-old Czech composer Vítězslava Kaprálová arrived in France to study at the École Normale de Musique de Paris. A few years later, she died at 25, leaving behind a striking legacy of compositions and writings that captured the spirit and struggles of her time. This film retraces Kaprálová’s journey through the letters filled with wonder, ambition, fear, and frustration—as she faced exile, the outbreak of World War II, love affairs, artistic ambition, and the constraints placed on her as a woman. Today, students at the École Normale, where Kaprálová once studied, discover her music. Among them is Bianca Maretti, a Brazilian conductor and recent graduate, now entering the professional world of classical music. The film features acclaimed musicians including tenor Adam Plachetka, cellist Steven Isserlis, and conductor Alena Hron, alongside professional and amateur orchestras and soloists. Unfolding as a dialogue across generations—between teacher and student, past and present, music and memory—it is more than a portrait of a partly forgotten composer. It is a reflection on legacy, identity, and the barriers women still face in classical music, and an invitation to listen to the vision and music of an inspiring artist whose life was cut short.