Diving deep into contemporary music, Why We Play portrays Ensemble Modern‘s work as relatable as ever. Based in the striking rehearsal rooms on Schwedlerstraße in the Ostend district of Frankfurt, this collective has been unfolding its visionary energy since 1980. What makes this special: the roughly 20 soloists are organized as a direct democracy and decide any and all of their projects together. The film captures the deeply sensual atmosphere of the rehearsals. It does not simply showcase the perfect end result on stage, it also shows the rocky road it takes to get there – the searching, rejecting and concerted finding of their musical language. On Schwedlerstraße, the emergence of New Music is physically perceptible. Why We Play introduces the audience to a sense for the motives and personal quests of the musicians and composers who fill this organism with life. The passion of an ensemble that develops roughly 70 new works each year. This is a film that renders music not only audible but also brings home just what kind of a profoundly human experience and collective effort it is.