Synopsis
Wind instruments set off from Europe on a victorious pilgrimage to all corners of the globe accompanied by representatives of the army, commerce and the church. They gradually conquered the most distant lands and captivated exotic nations. Based on a scientific study, the film uses musical instruments to capture the fusion of primitive and received cultures.
A word from Tënk
It’s said that van der Keuken gave North-South relations a very thorough check-up, and this is certainly true. But Brass Unbound, like other films in the same vein, is a far cry from a leaden examination of a theme or subject… above all, it’s a journey in the finest sense of the word – encountering, experimenting, living, experiencing… and upon its return, conveying sensuously all that was experienced by van der Keuken and Nosh van der Lely (the filmmaker’s companion and official sound recordist). Music is part of everyday life, and the question of work keeps coming back in multiple forms, right from the masterly opening sequence. The beauty of this polyphonic arrangement filmed in the four corners of the Earth in a profound and surprising reflection owes a lot to Keuken’s editing, which is inspired, dynamic and free, creating meaning and connections beyond the world’s physical and geographical coordinates.
Arnaud Hée
Programmer, teacher and critic
