Another day, another first look at a Josh O’Connor-starring, MUBI-backed period drama set to premiere in competition at this month’s Cannes Film Festival. Following the first images of Kelly Reichardt’s much-anticipated crime drama The Mastermind, today brings our first glimpse at Living director Oliver Hermanus’ gay drama The History of Sound, in which O’Connor stars alongside Paul Mescal.
The film, adapted by Ben Shattuck based on his own short story, follows a pair of American World War I servicemen who spark a connection in 1916 but then meet a few years later to embark on a journey to record and collect the sounds, voices, and music of their countrymen in rural New England.
Here’s the full synopsis: “In 1917, Lionel—a young, talented music student—meets David at the Boston Conservatory, where they bond over a deep love of folk music. Years later, Lionel receives a letter from David, leading to an impromptu journey through the backwoods of Maine to collect traditional songs. This unexpected reunion, ensuing love affair, and the music they collect and preserve, will shape the course of Lionel’s life far beyond his own awareness.”
“I didn’t want the sex of it to be the transgression, or the big idea, like, ‘Oh, it’s 1917, and these two men are taking the risk of being sexual,’” Hermanus tells Vanity Fair. “Ben wrote it in a way where there was no hesitation, no moment of fear. For me, the sex scene is when Lionel is walking around David’s apartment the morning after [their first encounter], and he’s smelling everything and sitting everywhere. He’s absorbing the energy of this person.”
See the first images below.
