Jolt Streaming Platform Introduces Oscar-Nominated Documentary ‘Viva Verdi!’ About the Home of Giuseppe Verdi

Academy Award-Nominated Documentary Viva Verdi! Now Available on Jolt Streaming Platform

Viva Verdi!, an Academy Award-nominated documentary directed by Yvonne Russo, has debuted on the Jolt streaming platform, granting viewers across the United States access to the film’s unique narrative.

The documentary features the aria "Sweet Dreams of Joy," composed by Emmy-winning Nicholas Pike, which has received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. This nomination is especially notable, as it marks one of the few operatic compositions to achieve this distinction. The piece is performed in the film by soprano Ana María Martínez. It competes with songs from Diane Warren: Relentless, KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners, and Train Dreams.

Produced by Christine La Monte, Russo, and the late Ron Simons, Viva Verdi! offers a glimpse into Casa Verdi in Milan, Italy, a retirement home that composer Giuseppe Verdi established in 1896 for aging musicians and singers. The film chronicles the lives of residents aged 77 to 107 as they continue to perform, teach, and mentor 16 young music students from around the world.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with Jolt, a trusted home for filmmakers,” Russo and La Monte shared. “Jolt provides a great opportunity for audiences everywhere to enjoy our heartfelt film that bridges generations through music – our love letter to Verdi that has inspired, delighted, and entertained at every festival to date.”

The Jolt platform has become a hub for several award-winning documentaries, including The Bibi Files directed by Alexis Bloom, Hollywoodgate by Ibrahim Nash’at, and While We Watched by Vinay Shukla, among others.

“The addition of Viva Verdi! to Jolt’s growing roster underscores the platform’s commitment to amplifying films that are looking to grow and expand their audience beyond the festival circuit,” a Jolt release stated. “Through its first-of-its-kind Interest Delivery Network, Jolt leverages advanced data and machine learning to connect extraordinary films with the audiences who will treasure them most.”

Tara Hein-Phillips, CEO and co-founder of Jolt, expressed excitement about the film’s inclusion, remarking, “Jolt exists for films exactly like Viva Verdi!, beautiful, life-affirming stories that deserve to find their audience. This is a film about legacy, about passing wisdom between generations, and about the enduring power of art. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share it.”

Reflecting on her experience, Hein-Phillips noted the enchanting atmosphere at Casa Verdi: “When I walked in for the first time, I could hear almost like sonic colors that were floating through the hallways. I just knew, wow, this place is pretty magical… Giuseppe Verdi willed his fortune to create this home, and there’s no other place like it in the world.”

La Monte added, “First of all, you see these little Verdi altars in every room. All of [the guests] say, ‘My dreams have come true here. I don’t have to think about work. I can work with other artists.’ It’s a dream come true for all of them.”

Nicholas Pike, who studied at Berklee College of Music, shared his inspiration for the film’s music. “Christine … gave me this 12-minute clip [of the film] … It was just so full of life,” he recalled. “It was so inspiring that I literally walked over to the piano behind me and wrote that piece. It doesn’t happen like that all the time. Many projects you’re on, you’re like, ‘OK, I’ve got to find something to inspire me to write here.’ That was not the case here. It was just full-on right from the beginning.”

For more on this film, the video for “Sweet Dreams of Joy” is available for viewing.