Over a period of five years, Swiss filmmakers Norbert Wiedmer and Peter Guyer followed producer Manfred Eicher and the artists of ECM around the world. In footage from Estonia, Tunisia, Germany, France, Denmark, Greece, Argentina and elsewhere, their documentary movie “Sounds and Silence”, captures aspects of the music-making process at ECM, and gives glimpses of unique players and composers at work. Amongst them: Arvo P?rt, Eleni Karaindrou, Dino Saluzzi and Anja Lechner, Anouar Brahem, Gianluigi Trovesi, Marilyn Mazur, Nik B?rtsch, Kim Kashkashian, Jan Garbarek and many others.
On August 8. “sounds and silence” had its premiere at Locarno’s wonderful Piazza Grande in front of on audience of 7000 spectators. Afterwards ECM met with artists, friends and distributors in a nearby bar. In his festival report for Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Fritz Goettler gave a lively account of the film: With his record label ECM Manfred Eicher has pionered modern music like few others. The film shows him at work, accompanies him through large parts of the world.. Although always outside the musical action he is its actual centre, listening with concentration, evaluating, evasive, at times even slightly demonic. He knows what he wants and he gets it. A Sisyphus task. Sometimes there is the twinkle of a boyish smile in his face, and in one situation he spontaneously dances with Arvo P?rt. We ought to imagine him as a happy person.”
Sounds and Silence will be presented at the film festival in Hof, Germany, in late October and is due to be shown on cinema screens early next year.