L'Opera oder Musik entsteht aus der Stille

Palermo is home to a gigantic theater building: the Teatro Massimo - the largest theater in the world. The writer Isidor Gondlowitz sets off from his home country, Switzerland, to write a book about this impressive place. Although the theater is intact and playable, it is not being used. Gondlowitz tries out all the roles on and behind the stage and begins to lose himself more and more in the huge building and in acting.

Directed by Wolf Gaudlitz, L'Opera oder Musik entsteht aus der Stille leans on a strong ensemble — Wolf Gaudlitz, Jean Schlegel, Giuseppe Di Stefano — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1986.