Albert Serra Reveals ‘Sixteen Moments of My Life’ and His Dream of Making a ‘Brigadoon’-Style Musical

Albert Serra is entering a new creative phase with “Sixteen Moments of My Life,” a film centered on an extraordinary live performance by legendary German singer and actress Ingrid Caven. The new project, which premiered out of competition at the Locarno Film Festival, continues the Spanish filmmaker’s fascination with performance, spontaneity and the unpredictable nature of cinema.

Rather than treating the project as a traditional concert movie, Serra approaches the performance as a cinematic experience built around music, improvisation and fleeting moments.

Albert Serra’s ‘Sixteen Moments of My Life’ Explores Live Performance

Albert Serra’s “Sixteen Moments of My Life” documents a one-off performance by Ingrid Caven at Paris’ Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord.

Caven, who became known for her work in European cinema during the 1960s and 1970s, has also enjoyed a celebrated career as a recording artist. She was famously associated with filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who was her sometime husband and frequent collaborator.

Serra and Caven have known each other for more than 15 years, giving the new film a personal dimension beyond a conventional music documentary.

The music was created by the Catalan musicians Molforts, who have also contributed to Serra’s previous films. The musicians and Caven developed 16 songs through an unusual creative process.

Rather than communicating directly, they exchanged music and ideas through recordings. Caven responded to the music by improvising, creating a collaboration based largely on instinct instead of traditional rehearsals and discussions.

Serra Says the Film Was Built Around Non-Communication

One of the most interesting aspects of “Sixteen Moments of My Life” is Serra’s approach to directing.

The filmmaker explained that the creative process reflected the way he often works with actors in his narrative films. Instead of spending hours explaining meanings, motivations or outcomes, Serra prefers to allow performances to develop naturally.

That philosophy has shaped movies including “Liberté” and “Pacifiction.”

For Serra, the absence of excessive communication can create unexpected moments that feel more spontaneous and authentic.

The director also deliberately avoids showing the audience during Caven’s performance. His attention remains firmly on the musicians and the performer rather than the people watching them.

Ingrid Caven’s Performance Captures the Fragility of the Moment

Caven’s music moves between several traditions, including opera, cabaret and the influence of French singer Édith Piaf. The film also embraces the imperfections of live performance.

One memorable moment comes before Caven takes the stage, when she is shown coughing.

For Serra, such details are important because live performance is inherently temporary. Once a moment happens, it cannot be recreated in exactly the same way.

That idea also connects directly with Serra’s understanding of cinema. Every moment captured on film becomes part of a record of something that has already disappeared.

The director sees this connection between cinema and live music as one of the reasons the project works so well.

Albert Serra Wants to Make a Happy Musical Comedy

While Serra is known for challenging and often unconventional films, he revealed that he has another type of project in mind.

The filmmaker says he would like to make a musical comedy inspired by “Brigadoon.”

The idea would be dramatically different from much of his previous work, focusing on happiness, poetry and lightness.

Serra suggested that the current atmosphere of war, political tensions and social friction has made him increasingly interested in creating something more positive.

A joyful musical comedy could therefore become an unexpected next chapter in his career.

Serra Reveals His Dream of Directing Elvis Presley and Maria Callas

Serra also reflected on two legendary performers he wishes he could have worked with: Elvis Presley and Maria Callas.

According to the director, Presley could have been an extraordinary dramatic actor if he had been given the right roles and worked with a filmmaker capable of bringing out that side of his talent.

Serra also imagined making a lighter comedy with opera icon Maria Callas.

Callas became famous for intensely dramatic performances, but Serra wondered what might have happened if she had been placed in a completely different cinematic environment.

His comments reveal his continuing interest in performers who can challenge conventional expectations.

From ‘Pacifiction’ to ‘Sixteen Moments of My Life’

Serra has built a reputation for unconventional filmmaking and distinctive performances.

His previous projects include “The Death of Louis XIV,” featuring Jean-Pierre Léaud as Louis XIV, and “Pacifiction,” starring Benoît Magimel.

Speaking about Magimel’s performance in “Pacifiction,” Serra remains particularly confident about its importance, calling it the actor’s best performance.

His focus on individual performers continues in “Sixteen Moments of My Life,” where the camera stays closely connected to Caven and the musicians rather than shifting attention to the surrounding crowd.

What Is Albert Serra’s Next Film?

Serra is also preparing his next major feature, “Out of This World.”

The filmmaker says the project is already around 65% complete and that he expects to finish it by the end of the year.

The movie stars Riley Keough and F. Murray Abraham as members of an American delegation traveling to Russia in the context of the Ukraine war.

Despite the geopolitical setting, Serra says the film is not intended to be a conventional war movie. Instead, its story focuses on economics and where the journey ultimately leads.

The filmmaker is keeping the ending under wraps, teasing what he describes as a major final sequence.

With “Sixteen Moments of My Life” now reaching audiences at Locarno and “Out of This World” moving toward completion, Albert Serra appears ready to continue pushing cinema into unexpected territory.

His next projects could also reveal a lighter side of the filmmaker, particularly if his long-discussed “Brigadoon”-style musical comedy finally becomes reality.