Private Project

A Life in Opera

"A Life in Opera" is a documentary about American opera singer Judith Schubert that explores the culture of classical music, it's historic and present-day roots in Germany, and the intersection of theater and politics.

Judith Schubert made countless sacrifices to pursue a career as a classical singer. Born in Minneapolis and educated at the U of M, her quest took her to Germany - the modern home of opera - shortly before the fall of the Berlin wall. Soon after she found herself at Theater Plauen-Zwickau in Saxony where she would spend the next three decades dedicated to her profession and the surrounding community. Alongside colleagues young and old, Schubert reflects on her years as leading lady and transition into retirement in this reverent look into the world of opera. (35 min)

  • Jade Patrick
    Director
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Ein Leben in der Oper
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, International, Interview
  • Runtime:
    35 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 6, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany, United States
  • Language:
    English, German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Paris Short Film Festival
    Paris
    France
    September 19, 2021
    International Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Berlin Indie Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    May 7, 2022
    Best Director of a Short Documentary
  • Toronto International Women Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    October 7, 2021
    Official Selection
  • 2011 ARFF Berlin / International Awards
    Berlin
    Germany
    December 23, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Montreal Independent Film Festival
    Montreal
    Canada
    November 2, 2021
    Official Selection
  • BLB Theater, Minneapolis
    Minneapolis
    United States
    November 7, 2021
  • Gamut Gallery, Minneapolis
    Minneapolis
    United States
    August 4, 2021
    North American Premiere
Director Biography - Jade Patrick

Synergizing her photography and video practice with her experience as a visual arts curator and gallerist, Jade Patrick has focused her lens on artists, performance and music. She has documented countless art and music events, and created more than a dozen short videos spotlighting artists and their work.

In line with this path, Jade's first in-depth documentary "A Life in Opera" (35 min, 2021) celebrates the career of Judith Schubert while exploring the culture of classical music and the intersection of art and politics. Shot between the Twin Cities, USA and Saxony, Germany in 2019, "A Life in Opera" is her first independent film of this scope with a production budget of $5k, funded in large part through a crowd-funding campaign. Post-production wrapped in summer 2021 and now she is looking to share the film with as many viewers as possible.

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