There was a long round of well-deserved applause in the Capitole cinema in Nyon on Tuesday night after the world premiere screening of the film Dusk Chorus – Based on Fragments of Extinction, produced by Alessandro D’Emilia and Nika Saravanja.
This film was a “coup de coeur” for the Living in Nyon editor and was also much appreciated by the audience. It is a fabulous insight into the world of sound and in this case, the sound to be heard inside an Ecuadorian primary rainforest.
The film follows David Monacchi, a sound artist, a “field recorder” and eco-acoustic composer while he is at work. In the film we learn that the each species in the forest communicates on a very specific frequency, never interfering with the others. The installation of a nearby pipeline in the forest has upset this balance and Monacchi demonstrates how through the medium of sound. In the question and answer session after the screening Monacchi explained about the process of filming and recording and in doing so he opened up a whole new world to the audience. With superb cinematography and production this is a magnificent film.
David Monacchi has set himself the mission of saving nature’s sound heritage – if you want to know more about his work, see website here
Unfortunately, the two screenings of this film at the Visions du Réel festival have now taken place, but there are tentative plans for it to be screened at IUCN in Gland in the future, so watch this space. Meanwhile, the documentary is touring at various documentary film festivals around the world. See (and hear!) a short extract in the trailer below.
Dusk Chorus – trailer from David Monacchi on Vimeo.
