US Trailer for German Film ‘Köln 75’ About the Keith Jarrett Concert

by Alex Billington
July 17, 2025
Source: YouTube

“Not a jazz concert. A Keith Jarrett concert.” “Complete improvised freedom.” Zeitgeist Films in the US has revealed the official US trailer for an acclaimed German film titled Köln 75, telling the story of the iconic Keith Jarrett jazz concert in January 1975 in the Germany city of Cologne. The title is the original German name for the city of Cologne – in German it’s just Köln. The film premiered at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival and earned rave reviews from many who have seen it – set to open in the US starting in October. Köln 75 is the story of Vera Brandes, who – at the age of 18 – staged the famous Köln Concert by jazz musician Keith Jarrett at the Cologne Opera House. Reviews say the film examines “how a cultural passion can sometimes overcome all obstacles and transform a person’s life entirely.” With everyone praising the lead performance: “The emotional heart of this story is Emde’s fizzing screen energy as the young Brandes.” The film features Mala Emde as Vera Brandes, John Magaro as Keith Jarrett, plus Alexander Scheer, Ulrich Tukur, Jördis Triebel, and Susanne Wolff. This looks fantastic! Fresh and spunky and jazzy – I need to watch it.

Here’s the official US trailer (+ poster) for Ido Fluk’s acclaimed film Köln 75, direct from YouTube:

Keith Jarrett’s legendary performance in January 1975 nearly didn’t happen… Based on a true story, Köln 75 follows how the concert was conceived and orchestrated by the efforts of a teenage up and coming concert promoter, Vera Brandes (as played by German actress Mala Emde). Her enthusiasm set her to multitasking – from organizing the concert venue (the Cologne Opera House), promoting the event, and selling the tickets, to convincing Jarrett to perform when he almost dropped out when the Bösendorfer Imperial Grand piano he was promised was nowhere to be found. John Magaro plays Jarrett with his own intensity, a sublime counterpoint to Mala Emde’s joyful portrayal of the enthusiastic and unstoppable Vera. Köln 75 captures the compelling, entertaining and, until now, unknown back story about Jarrett’s 1-hour, entirely improvised concert, which became the best-selling solo album in jazz history (listen here). 🎵

Köln 75, which is the same German title (also Cologne 75), is written & directed by German filmmaker Ido Fluk, director of the films Never Too Late and The Ticket previously, plus eps of the series “I, Witness” and “A Crime to Remember”. Produced by Sol Bondy and Fred Burle. With original music composed by Stefan Rusconi and Hubert Walkowski. This initially premiered at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival earlier this year and it already opened in German cinemas in March 2025. Zeitgeist Films will debut Fluk’s Köln 75 film in select US theaters starting on October 17th, 2025 in the fall. For more details, visit the film’s official site.

Find more posts in: Foreign Films, Indies, To Watch, Trailer