Conversations between filmmakers Tony Palmer and Philippe Béziat

The screening of Philippe Bézat's documentary Becoming Traviata was followed by a public talk by Béziat himself and Tony Palmer. They had a chat about the subject of opera in cinema, which was followed by an open Q and A session.

Tony Palmer is a legendary director of films, theatre and operas as well as an author. His name is particularly associated with great music documentaries and films that include titles such as Bird On a Wire about Leonard Cohen and a celebrated epic work on the life of the composer Wagner, which nears eight hours in length and features Richard Burton in his final starring role. Palmer also worked with other famous artists such as The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Cream, Rory Gallagher and classical music icons such as Maria Callas, Igor Stavinsky, Carl Orff and Benjamin Britten.

Philippe Béziat is a French filmmaker who has made films and documentaries for both cinema and television, dealing extensively with opera and artists such as Stavinsky and Claude of Debussy. He has recently achieved worldwide fame for his latest documentary Becoming Traviata, which follows opera singer Natalie Dessay as she prepares for the lead role of Violetta in a staging of Verdi's masterwork at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in France.

To listen to conversation, press play in the widget mixcloud widget below.