In the documentary 'Thinking with your senses', German composer, conductor, and essayist Hans Zender (1936-2019) gets the exhaustive Reiner E. Moritz treatment. As a conductor, Zender was associated with several German opera houses and orchestras, including Theater Bonn, Opernhaus Kiel, and the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra. He is probably most widely remembered for his 'composed interpretation' of Franz Schubert’s song-cycle ‘Winterreise’, which he adapted for tenor and small orchestra. In 'Thinking with your senses', Zender opens up about his life, reflecting on his long and successful career. He discusses his collaborations with composers as John Cage, Olivier Messiaen, and Bernd Alois Zimmermann. Moreover, the film includes numerous excerpts of Zender conducting classical as well as and contemporary repertoire by composers such as Helmut Lachenmann, Isang Yung, and Bernd Alois Zimmermann.