MPS - The legend lives on

The music label MPS (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) from Villingen is known worldwide to fans, musicians and lovers of jazz. Legends such as Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Friedrich Gulda, Monty Alexander, George Duke, Freddie Hubbard, Jean-Luc Ponty or the Singers Unlimited traveled to the small Black Forest town from the mid-1960s onwards to take in the entrepreneur's son Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. Around 500 albums were released on MPS, many of which are long-established classics. Thus, for two decades Villingen became a jazz mecca, which stars Jean Luc Ponty, Jasper van't Hof, Monty Alexander, Rolf and Joachim Kühn or Gunter Hampel, as well as Charly Antolini, Daniel Humair, Alexander von Schlippenbach and Eberhard Weber still rave about today. The documentary takes viewers on a fascinating journey into the 60s and 70s and tells one of the most incredible chapters in jazz history, which originated in southwestern Germany.

Directed by Sascha Schmidt, MPS - The legend lives on leans on a strong ensemble — Jasper van't Hof, Charly Antolini, Eberhard Weber — 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 2023.