This is how a violin concerto is born. The film is an extraordinary opportunity to follow the creation of a new musical piece. It took 15 years from the time it was commissioned to its world premiere by Anne-Sophie Mutter in August 2007, with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Simon Rattle.

The piece is Sofia Gubaidulina's 2nd violin concerto. Gubaidulina's international breakthrough came in 1980 with her first violin concerto, Offertorium. The film is not the usual portrait of the composer but concentrates on the work in progress and documents the creative process, the great expectations of the music world and the resulting pressure on Gubaidulina, until the completion of the concerto and its world premiere.