DOKFILM – MELODIE

By Anka Schmid

From lullabies in the neonatal unit to the dirges of Greece’s last professional mourners, from football stadiums to monastic chant: MELODIE celebrates the power of the human voice. A film about the joy of singing, vulnerability – and the astonishing power of music to connect and strengthen people. A manifesto of joie de vivre!

Why do people sing? What effect does the voice have – on ourselves and on others? In her keenly observant documentary, Anka Schmid follows people from a wide variety of backgrounds as they sing, either alone or together. From a rapper from Ticino to a Kurdish refugee family and the sisters of Fahr Convent, from football fans to people living with dementia, a polyphonic panorama unfolds, showing how singing can provide strength, comfort and a sense of belonging.

With no commentary and great openness, the film allows the people and their voices to speak for themselves. The result is a documentary that is as light-hearted as it is moving, showing that singing is far more than just music: it is memory, expression, resistance and a language that connects people across generations and cultures. MELODIE is an inspiring tribute to the power of singing together – and a film that lingers in the mind long after it ends.

Switzerland, England, Greece, 2025 / 86 mins.

Audio: Swiss German, German, Italian, English, Greek, Kurdish, Bengali

Subtitles: German