Rebekka Karijord Scores Norwegian Nature Documentary ‘Songs of Earth’
Composer Rebekka Karijord (she/her) has scored the breathtaking music to the nature documentary Songs of Earth, a majestic journey with director Margreth Olin and her father into the scenic glacial valley of Oldedalen in Nordfjord, Olin’s childhood home. Having premiered at the 2023 Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX), the documentary captures the stunning grandeur and explores the balance of life, death, humanity and nature, all the while listening to Olin’s father's stories of previous generations and what is truly valuable in life.
Rebekka's unorthodox approach to scoring involved taking field recordings of the glaciers, forest, and river within the valley and working closely with the London Contemporary Orchestra to translate them into a musical, orchestral palette. This unique method of composing brings the music even closer to embodying the essence of the nature seen on screen, connecting on a deeper emotional level the wonder that is truly all around us.
…the visuals, sound design and score are more impressive than in any big-budget nature documentary…
- Cineuropa
Rebekka Karijord…was able to capture [the] music in a gorgeous, haunting score. The result is an arresting study of this particularly photogenic corner of Norway which repays a big-screen viewing. As such, it should find other festival slots and could attract the interest of specialist distributors – the combination of epic scenery and an emotional connection to the land appealing to a similar audience to that of last year’s Fire Of Love. The presence of Wim Wenders and Liv Ullman on the credits as executive producers certainly won’t hurt its prospects.
- Screen Daily
Read the full reviews from the premiere of Songs of Earth at CPH:DOX:
