Les Ailes du Désir

About

This production is the first operatic adaptation of Wim Wenders’ 1987 film Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire). Commissioned by la co[opéra]tive from composer Othman Louati, it is his first opera, with a libretto by Gwendoline Soublin. Directed by Grégory Voillemet, the staging integrates a distinctive puppetry language conceived by Johanny Bert. Seven singers, thirteen instrumentalists, and six puppeteers create a layered theatrical experience that fuses opera with marionette artistry. The puppeteers remain visible on stage, their movement-choreography responding to and shaping the music. The set pivots on a wall—referencing the Berlin Wall—as both physical and symbolic divide. Louati’s score, performed by Miroirs Étendus under the musical direction of Fiona Monbet, illuminates the turning point where love opens a new eternity. Designed as a touring work, the production travels with full forces, maintaining the fusion of puppetry, voices, and instrumental ensemble across venues.