Help us to Demystify Opera
At SSCC, with the support of Alder Art Studios, we are creating the documentary film Why Love Opera? to help the general public connect with opera.
Opera is not elitist. It is human.
In an increasingly digital world, the live, communal experience of opera offers a rare and vital human connection. Why Love Opera? is a feature documentary that reveals why opera still matters — and why it belongs to everyone.
🎬 The Film
Why Love Opera? demystifies opera and proves how it can be accessible, emotionally powerful, and deeply relevant to a broad audience today.
Through intimate access, personal stories, and cinematic performance footage, the film shows opera not as a distant art form, but as a living space of expression, conflict, beauty, and shared emotion.
Opera reflects the world around us — its passions, struggles, absurdities, and hopes. More than a spectacle, it is a mirror of humanity and a laboratory of emotions that keeps us human.
🎭 Synopsis
In a world constantly searching for new forms of entertainment, why does opera continue to captivate and inspire fierce devotion? This 60‑minute documentary invites viewers into the dynamic and multilayered world of contemporary opera through the lens of Rosetta Cucchi, a leading figure in the operatic landscape.
From rehearsals and behind‑the‑scenes moments to bold reinterpretations of classic works, the film opens at the prestigious Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro (2025) and explores how opera can evolve without losing its emotional core.
By drawing unexpected parallels — from Rossini’s humour to Marx Brothers‑style comedy — Why Love Opera? challenges preconceptions of opera as remote or rigid. Instead, it reveals opera as fresh, transgressive, humorous, and profoundly human.
Guided by Cuccini’s innovative vision and personal insights, audiences will rediscover not only opera — but why it still moves us.
💡 Why Now?
At a time of fragmentation, speed, and constant digital distraction, opera offers something rare:
- Presence
- Collective emotion
- Shared human experience
This film argues that opera’s relevance has not diminished — it has never been more necessary.
🎥 Visual Style
A dynamic blend of intimacy and vérité:
- Rehearsal footage and behind‑the‑scenes access
- High‑quality cinematic recordings of live performances
- Interviews with Rosetta Cucchi, performers, and community participants
- A diverse range of voices and personal perspectives
The camera moves between preparation and performance, vulnerability and spectacle — revealing opera as it truly is: alive.
🎯 Our Goal
To bring Why Love Opera? to life and make it accessible to a wide audience, we aim to raise:
€50,000
These funds will support:
- Filming and production
- Editing and post‑production
- Music and performance rights
- Distribution and public access
Our commitment is to ensure the documentary can be widely shared, reaching beyond traditional opera audiences.
❤️ Support the Film
If you love opera — or believe great art should be open to all — we invite you to support this project.
Every contribution brings us closer to opening opera to new audiences and preserving its living, breathing spirit.
🤝 Join the Project
- Support the production
- Share the mission
- Help demystify opera
Together, we can ensure opera remains not a closed tradition — but a shared human language.