The Celebrity is hosting a party. He calls out to Glenn and persuades him to play the piano with him for his guests. The guests gossip about the past performances and bad reviews while simultaneously applauding the artist.
Louise, a young talented artist, arrives and prepares for her first climb. She is seeking excellence, precision, and beauty. It is a quest toward attaining perfection in her art. Louise connects with her inspiration, support and icon: Glenn Gould. Their journey together begins.
Louise encounters The Teacher at the window. The Teacher instructs on the development of rigorous, meticulous technique. Discussion of artistic philosophy is included in the training. Glenn recalls his own teacher.
With a sense of freedom, Louise discovers daring, new musical terrain with Glenn's encouragement.
The Mother appears at the window. She shares memories, loving praise and admonishments. The development of her child's talent and success has been her life's focus.
A teacher tries to inspire and distract a student as soldiers march outside their classroom, but the student is unable to escape into her imagination.
Glenn tells Louise that applause should be banned. The Housewife shares the profound impact of witnessing Glenn's performance.
Both Louise and Glenn are tired. They share stories about their nightmares.
Louise and Glenn talk about their daily rituals. Re-energized, Louise wants to get back to climbing again. She starts muscling her way upward, urged on by thoughts of fame. Glenn's focus turns to his various medications and need for isolation. Glenn feels a sharp pain and struggles to support Louise. Both start to lose their grip, and Lo...
Glenn is lost in a painful memory of The Mother in hospital.
The Girl calls out to Glenn. She asks him for help with a piece of music.
Louise is ready. She chooses a climb, exploring and unleashing her own full voice as she travels upward.
In pain after being raped by Tassi, Artemisia tries to understand what just happened, while Tassi justifies himself.
A short scene, sampling the wedding scene where Elaine screams for Ben.
A celebration of iconic Hitchcock film moments, sampling from The Birds.
Using quintessential recordings of Maria Callas arias, an aspiring soprano engages with the full and intense presence of her idol. What begins as suffocation and frustration ends as confidence as the soprano gains a deeper understanding of her idol: she’s human. They both are.
A celebration of iconic Hitchcock film moments, sampling from The Man Who Knew Too Much, Psycho, and The Birds.
A deconstruction of moments in The Sound of Music.
Her health fading, Shanawdithit wonders if she’ll be welcomed into the spirit world after so much time with the colonists. Cormack tells her he must leave, and Shanawdithit gives him a sketch of his house to carry with him. He leaves the room to pack. Shanawdithit hears the spirits of her people calling her name. It is time. One spirit in par...
Shanawdithit describes the last days of her family as they were pushed from their land and then hunted. She asks Cormack not to speak of their death, but of their life. Cormack is ecstatic and gets lost in the memories Shanawdithit paints. She breaks his reverie with the cold fact that the life she speaks of will never happen again. She colla...
At 4 a.m., a composer stands looking out the window, his tools nearby. Across town, a librettist is doing the same. Both are just slightly panicking about their latest work: an opera about a dog named Harley.
Eurydice C is shown her Elysium with Orpheus in the garden - she is not sure she wants him there, but it fades before she can decide. The CEO brings her back to reality and closes the presentation.
In memory, Eurydice C's painter lover pushes her to allow him to paint her and make love to her, even though she is reluctant.