Following up his Akira Kurosawa remake Living, Oliver Hermanus brought his queer drama The History of Sound, starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, to Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. With a September 12 release date now set from MUBI, they have unveiled the first trailer and poster.
Here’s the 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.”
Luke Hicks said in his Cannes review, “It’s strange to hear backwood Appalachian fiddle folk in a French theater at the hand of a South African director portraying the queer, song-collecting lives of two American men who are madly, delicately in love and played by British stars. Thanks to Paul Mescal, it’s also quite lovely. The History of Sound––Oliver Hermanus’ hushed ode to New England’s rich tapestry of folk history, adapted by Ben Shattuck from his short-story collection of the same name––is a tenderly felt drama sung in whisper and sorrow, the kind that almost guarantees a cry for anyone weakened by a phenomenal homegrown voice or piercing romance. Its alternately hyper-specific and vast range of vocals, styles, and tunes suggest the minor dawning of a lesser-known American sound. Much as Inside Llewyn Davis and O Brother, Where Art Thou? sought to reintroduce music the Coens trusted would resonate with modern audiences, The History of Sound means to show us the power of (primarily a cappella) folk songs of their time and place. T Bone Burnett will be proud.”
See the trailer below.
