The Competitors: Russia's Child Prodigies Have Grown Up

Ten years ago, Elena Kolesnitschenko, Irina Chistyakova, Dmitri Krutogolovy and Nikita Mndoyants were the focus of Irene Langemann's film RUSSIA'S CHILD PRODIGIES. The film followed the highly talented pianist students at the Central Music School in Moscow. Ten years later, the film's sequel is being released in German cinemas. All four film heroes have remained faithful to music. But they experience the drama that befalls many child prodigies: When they were children, they could amaze audiences with the contrast between their delicate appearance and precocious ability. Now, what counts most is the filigree perfect performance, top prizes in competitions, but also a lot of luck. The film THE CONCURRENTS tells a universal story about success and failure in the commercialized world of classical music. Very close to the four protagonists, with moving flashbacks from the film RUSSIA'S CHILD PRODIGIES a human study of growing up under the constraints of a merciless competition emerges.