Astrid Mertens

Walter Hus, A Musical Journey

Director Astrid Mertens Composer Walter Hus Cast Walter Hus

Docs Belgian Cinema Today

Edition 2022

Sound and Vision

67' - 2022 - Documentary, Music/Musical - Dialogue: Dutch, French, English

"Whenever I start on something new, I feel like a rookie, as if all these years have taught me nothing." This documentary explores both the heart and the mind of composer Walter Hus.

Dutch dialogue is not subtitled.

“In the beginning there is nothing and at the end there is new music.” Putting this way, composing seems like a miracle of nature, but nothing could be further from the truth, of course. "Composing is work, hard work and anything but glorious." The statement is by the composer (pianist and Decaporganist) Walter Hus (63), who is portrayed here by director Astrid Mertens. Music for a fashion show by Yamamoto, films such as Suite 16 by Dominique Deruddere, or an opera based on a graphic novel by Chris Ware: Hus cannot be easily captured. In Walter Hus, a Musical Journey, director Astrid Mertens follows him as he devises music for a new production by Isabella Soupart. In between, he reflects on the road he has traveled as a musician and composer. Portrait of a man in whom the playing bird is still very much alive.

During his 30-year career, Belgian composer Walter Hus has worn a thousand musical masks. But when he embarked on a new work, a crisis blocked his creativity. During an exchange with his therapist, he asked: "Who am I, musically?" In this film he attempts to answer this profound existential question.