Monk in Pieces

The film follows Monk in her seventh creative decade, as she looks back on an exceptional career and asks herself whether the work she has built can survive without her. Through interviews with artists like Björk and David Byrne, rare archival footage, and intimate observation, the film reveals Monk’s original language of sound, movement, and voice, transforming theatrical expression into a fully immersive experience.

At the same time, the documentary shows how Monk carved out her place in a male-dominated art world and how she passes her masterpiece ATLAS to a new generation of performers. A fascinating portrait of one of the most original voices of our time. Dutch premiere, as part of Holland Festival.

Conversation Hildur Guðnadóttir and Meredith Monk

Meredith Monk is a key source of inspiration for associate artist Hildur Guðnadóttir. The documentary will be followed by a conversation between Meredith Monk and Hildur Guðnadóttir. Moderator is Anne-Maartje Lemereis, composer, teacher, and radio host of Vrije Geluiden on NPO Klassiek.

About Hildur Guðnadóttir

The 79th edition of the Holland Festival’s associate artist is Icelandic composer, musician and vocalist Hildur Guðnadóttir (Reykjavik, 1982). She is one of the leading, multifaceted composers of film scores, experimental pop and contemporary music working today. Her work, which is often intense, poetic, dark and unpolished, is inspired by a variety of sources from the founders of contemporary music, such as György Ligeti and Kaija Saariaho, to minimal music, ambient and noise. She has collaborated with artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Knife and Animal Collective.

The general public knows her work from films such as Joker (2019, also to be screened at Eye), for which she won an Oscar, Tàr (2022) or the HBO drama series Chernobyl (2019). This month, Hedda premiered at the Toronto film festival, the radical adaptation on Henrik Ibsen’s play with music by Guðnadóttir.