The logline of Kim Hess’s There You Go, a work-in-progress selected for DOK Preview Germany event at DOK Leipzig, suggests a tale of profound culture clash. As German-Argentine choreographer Demis Volpi takes on the legacy of John Neumeier at the Hamburg Ballet, the synopsis reads, “vision meets tradition during a cultural debate that will shape the future of one of Europe’s most renowned companies.”
“What began as a portrait of a promising new beginning has, within a few months, become a chronicle of a historic cultural conflict,” producer Lotta Schmelzer further explains to BDE. “The questions of power, public influence, transformation, and the future extend far beyond the world of ballet.”
The film follows Volpi from Düsseldorf to Hamburg and Venice, capturing rehearsals, encounters with international guest choreographers, and the creative processes behind the scenes. Meanwhile, tensions intensify. There is resistance within the ensemble. Letters are sent to the cultural senate. We encounter public hostility, and there are personal attacks on Volpi.
Portraying the Hamburg State Opera as a social microcosm of tradition, power, loyalty, and artistic ambition, the film “paints a multifaceted portrait of an institution in transition. It tells the story of a season in which not only an artistic dream is at stake but also the question of how a company shaped over decades can face the future without breaking under the weight of its legacy,” the synopsis underlines.
“Kim’s strength as a director lies in her sensitivity and her ability to stay deeply connected to her protagonists while maintaining a thoughtful perspective on the bigger picture,” producer Schmelzer tells BDE of her debutant director. “This balance allows her to create an intimate yet comprehensive portrait of her subjects.”
“Visually, the film is carried by a dynamic camera that always remains at eye level with the protagonists, capturing relationships and approaching them gently,” the producer continues. “Cinematographer Lisa Jilg works with a scale of intimate pictures, and contrasts that with distance. The camera follows the rhythm of the people, the house, the rehearsals, the conversations. It becomes part of the social microcosm within the Hamburg State Opera, and is characterized by a gentle closeness to choreographer Demis Volpi.”
There You Go is at edit stage, with SWR on board as a main broadcaster, together with NDR. MFG Baden-Württemberg and MOIN Filmförderung are regional funders of the project. The mooted delivery date is September 2026. “We are specifically seeking partners with experience in high-profile documentary premieres and international festival circuits, including sales agents who can navigate European and North American markets, and festival consultants who can advise on positioning the film for top-tier festivals,” Schmelzer signs off.
