A stunning immersive exploration of the nature of sound, this is a film not so much for watching as for listening to.
Many critics consider this film by director Sam Green to be the best documentary shown at Sundance Film Festival last year, and it is certainly the most inventive. Using dozens of examples, Green suggests we immerse ourselves in a consideration of how we listen and hear. Examples include the song of one of the last Hawaiian birds of its type, John Cage’s famous work 4’33», and a philosophical enigma about a tree falling in a forest where no one is present. Scientists, composers, Hollywood sound effects specialists, and the director—who includes a voice recording of his dead brother—talk about how sound and melody can transport us to another space or time. The most valuable thing is that viewers play an active role in this research: they are invited to close their eyes, imagine a source of sound, and even dance. This special experience also helps us to hear the world in a new way.
The film will be screened in English with Russian subtitles.
32 Sounds
Director Sam Green
USA, 2022. 95 min. 18+
