dvd review: an island

 

French filmmaker Vincent Moon specialises in unorthodox music flicks, but An Island is more unorthodox than most. The titular location is Als, the small Danish island on which Mads, Caspar and Rasmus of Efterklang grew up. The film, an ode to both band and homeland, opens quietly, with gentle waters breaking on a fishing boat’s hull, the waves and engine rumbles growing louder as it approaches shore.

On arrival, the band strike masonry and farming equipment, exploring their environment via sounds and textures. Rain drips into cupped hands; feet squelch in muddy fields – we are treated to ten minutes of such ‘music’ before a single instrument is unpacked. When they are, Efterklang reshape tracks from third album Magic Chairs in fresh ways, in locations ranging from remote woodland, to the school which Mads and Rasmus once attended.

While offered under a Creative Commons licence that permits not-for-profit copying and distribution of the film on the condition that you credit the creators, this limited edition physical release is desirable beyond its digital contents. From its exquisite hand-printed case and postcard art, to an hour of extras that extend the band’s musical experiments with outtakes and more, this is a beguiling film, presented beautifully.

Out Now at http://anisland.cc/home/