Michel van der Aa
In In Between Realities
Art
Synopsis
In Between Realities
How does technology transform humanity? Do we need a body to be human? In his multidisciplinary work, composer and director Michel van der Aa explores the big themes of our digitised age and contemplates existential questions in the border area between humans, machines and consciousness.
Van der Aa re-energises the world of opera. Whether his VR goggles are on or off, he is always looking towards the future. In Between Realities shows him working on a new music theatre project, crossing the boundaries between remembering and forgetting, reality and unreality, life and death. Together with actors and avatars he forges new paths into the metaverse.
Credits
- Character
- Michel van der Aa
- Director
- Carin Goeijers
- Country
- Netherlands
- Duration
- 17 min
- Year
- 2023
Michel van der Aa brings a new dimension to opera by incorporating VR and digital media.
Michel van der Aa
As a child, Michel van der Aa (1970) used to build labyrinths out of cardboard, complete with intriguing soundscapes. Today, he lets audiences enter alternative worlds in a different way: through his inventive musical, cinematic and digital creations. As a multimedia artist, he brings together various disciplines and leads the classical opera genre into new dimensions.
Acclaims
- His music has been performed in 45 countries, by many international ensembles and orchestras
- Film Upload won Best Digital Opera at the International Opera Awards (2022)
- Winner of the Siemens Composers’ Prize in (2005), University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award (2013) and the Mauricio Kagel Music Prize (2013)
SCREENINGS
In Between Realities has been featured since April 2023 at various (inter)national film festivals and events, including:
- Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, San Jose, US
- Eye Film Museum, Amsterdam, NL
- Festival International du Film sur l’Art (FIFA), Montreal, CAN
- Go Short International Short Film Festival, Nijmegen, NL
- Nacht van Ontdekkingen, Leiden, NL
- On Art, Warsaw, PL
- The Fine Arts Film Festival, Venice, US
In Between Realities won ‘Best Score’ at The Fine Arts Film Festival, Venice, US.
There is also collaboration with cultural institutions and educational organisations:
- Eye Film Player
- FIFA Montreal, platform ARTS.FILM
- Kölner Philharmonie, Cologne, DE
Director
Carin Goeijers
Carin Goeijers (1967) is an independent documentary director from the Netherlands. Cinematic form plays an important role in her inventive way of storytelling. Her films have screened at several leading international filmfestivals including IDFA 2018, where her film But Now Is Perfect won a Special Jury Award for Best Dutch Documentary.