Heidi Pruuli

He is the most performed contemporary composer in the world. And yet he rarely ventures out in public, prefers to keep quiet about his music, feels at home in the forests of Estonia and generates therewith - perhaps involuntarily - the impression of a recluse, which is attributed to him again and again: Arvo Part. In The Lost Paradise, we follow him over a period of one year in his native Estonia, to Japan and the Vatican. The documentary is framed by the stage production of Adam's Passion, a music theater piece based on the Biblical story of the fall of Adam featuring three key works by Arvo Part. The world-renowned director Robert Wilson has brought this work to the stage in a former submarine factory in Tallinn. Tracing their creative process, the film offers rare and personal insights into the worlds of two of the most fascinating personalities in the international arts and music scene.

"Tractus stellae – Herodes and the Three Wise Men", a liturgical drama based on the 11th Century manuscript, comes alive through images. The story of the birth of the holy infant in manifested through musical visions about king Herod and the premonition that the new king is about to be born in Judea. Performed by the band Hortus Musicus.

Neeme Järvi is one of the most recorded conductors in the world. His name appears on the front cover of more than 500 audio records. In addition to his international reach and being the chief conductor of several world orchestras, he also has a mission as a cultural ambassador. The film follows Neeme Järvi's recent activities - a concert tour with the ERSO in Vienna, Linz, Prague, a winter vacation in Florida, concerts in Tallinn, Glasgow and the Pärnu Music Festival - conducting, giving master classes and interacting with his offspring - the conductor sons Paavo and Kristjan Järvi - and sharing in their success.