“Art can really heal. Art is medicine for the soul,” explained Christoph Schlingensief, already seriously affected by cancer, during the laying of the foundation stone for his opera village in Burkina Faso. “Learning from Africa,” means art and life are inextricably linked. The concert hall on the rocky hill with its associated school, clinic and workshops is the ultimate social sculpture by the visionary performance artist and director.
The film documents the arduous development of the opera village and Schlingensief’s intensive collaboration with its architect, Francis Kéré. The film bids farewell to Schlingensief, who art could not heal but who lives on through his creation. Christoph, il n'est pas mort! Andrea Naica-Loebell