Resurrecting hidden histories and setting them against the pressures of contemporary racial injustice often makes the most intriguing plotlines in films. That’s certainly the case for the careers of Edmond Dede and Basile Bares. Their stories are chronicled in the new documentary, ‘What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile.’

The movie will have its World Premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival on October 24, 2025 at 7:45pm CT. In honor of the feature’s upcoming premiere, Film Factual is exclusively premiering the poster for the project.

Sascha Just directed the documentary. Prior to making ‘What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile,’ the New York-based filmmaker produced and helmed 2022’s ‘Ellis,’ the first feature-length documentary about New Orleans pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr.

‘What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile’ showcases how the two New Orleans composers led completely different lives. While Barès and Dédé were both Creoles of Color, Dédé was a free man, while Barès was born into enslavement.

Both composers wrote and performed operas and concert pieces popular with Black and white audiences. Their careers challenged the notion that classical music has been an exclusively white domain. Yet, since their lifetime, their compositions have not been performed, and some have never even been presented to the public.

New Orleans musicians are now resurrecting their works. Pianist Oscar Rossignoli is presenting a concert of Barès’ unpublished dances. The ensemble OperaCréole with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra are staging Dédé’s long lost opera ‘Morgiane’ at St. Louis Cathedral.

From rehearsals to costume fittings, ‘What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile’ documents the path to these premieres. The movie also chonricles the composers’ extraordinary lives and Creole culture.

Tickets are available for the ‘What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile’s World Premiere on the New Orleans Film Society’s official website.

‘What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile’ director Sascha Just