Sound of Heimat at the Film Archive

Sound of Heimat at the Film Archive

The documentary Sound of Heimat / Deutschland singt! (2012) follows charismatic kiwi saxophonist Hayden Chisholm on his journey across Germany, exploring the roots and living traditions of German folk music. Chisholm meets a range of fascinating and eccentric musicians, and shares in the varied cultural rituals associated with this musical genre.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Jan Tengeler.

In Sound of Heimat / Deutschland singt! Jan Tengeler and Arne Birkenstock, the directors, accompany Chisholm on his expedition to learn more about German folk music. From his outsider’s perspective of German culture, Chisholm explores a vivid variety of regional rites and activities. At the same time, Birkenstock and Tengeler examine the ambivalent attitude toward folk music common in Germany, and delve into German sentiments towards their own homeland.

German folk music has been largely forgotten or misunderstood in recent decades. This is due, on one hand, to the negative connotations of folk music having been sung during the Nazi regime and, on the other hand, to the “ideal world” shown in the Musikantenstadl (a television series about German folk music).

“The charismatic musician [Hayden Chisholm] offers us a fresh look at Germany: zappy, colorful and emotional – full of life and full of music. In search of German folk music, Hayden makes many bizarre acquaintances, cheerfully drinking toasts with the whole musician group of regulars and joining in many a polka with his saxophone.” - Berlinale Film Festival, 2013

“Kiwi horn blower Hayden Chisholm meets musicians and singers young and old, traditional and modern, eccentric and ultra-serious, all of whom are united by their passion for music that embodies the quintessential German notion of ‘Heimat’ (homeland). Filled with delightful detours into remote places and high-spirited collaborations in which Hayden brings his instrument into the mix, Sound of Heimat is about much more than music. In the course of his travels, Hayden encounters not only the Germany that embraces the sounds of Heimat with a deep sense of national pride, but also the Germany that dismisses such music and its attendant emotions as irrelevant nostalgia. Do not be surprised if you get the urge to tap your toes and sing along as you consider the evidence!” - Audi Festival of German Films Australia, 2013

Hayden Chisholm was born in Otahuhu, New Zealand, in 1975. He is a saxophonist and a composer. At age eight he started playing the piano, and eventually pursued an interest in the clarinet and the saxophone. He moved to Cologne, Germany to study at the Cologne Musikhochschule, and received his Masters in Saxophone in 2007. At this time, he began to explore new tonal possibilities, which led him to a development of microtonal fingerings for the saxophone.

Jan Tengeler was born in Kiel, Germany, in 1969. He studied German, philosophy and sociology in Cologne, Germany. He also learnt the piano, the contrabass and the jazzbass. He is part of several symphony orchestras and jazz bands, and is also a radio journalist. His occupation allows him to explore musical issues. In 2004 he published a radio play called Balkan, Baby (“The Balkans, Baby”) which he composed and directed.

Arne Birkenstock was born 1967, in Siegen. His films include 12 Tangos - Adios Buenos Aires (2005) and The Daughter of the Elephant Whisperer (2009). Starting in 2002, Jan Tengeler and Arne Birkenstock began to create music documentaries for a German television broadcaster.

Sound of Heimat will screen at the Film Archive, Wellington. 7pm, Wednesday 8 May.

This film is presented in partnership with the Goethe-Institut.

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