Mini-Review: "Echoes of Home"
March 1, 2008
It's easy to write off yodeling as kitsch, exemplified by the emergence of Alaskan singer-songwriter Jewel and her propensity for the Swiss singing art or the impression of the "lonely goatherd" figure decked out in lederhosen.
"Echoes of Home," from Swiss director Stefan Schwietert, is an aurally-pleasing love poem to Swiss music and culture, a profound look at the art of yodeling through a number of musicians. Yodeling Swiss folk artists Christian Zehnder and American expatriate Erika Stucky, the two main subjects of the film, are quite eccentric and are portrayed as such, but also make it known how important yodeling is to the Swiss culture and identity, and will instill in the viewer a new appreciation and understanding of Switzerland.
From a technical standpoint, "Echoes of Home" is a beautiful film. The breathtaking shots of the snow-covered Alps juxtaposed with the intimacy of Swiss concert halls are enough to sell this film, but perhaps, at time, this is a movie that is best watched with eyes closed, absorbing the overwhelming possibility of the human voice and the range of emotions and ideas it can convey. The sound comes ringing in with resounding power and clarity--this is a must-see for anyone interested in music and the possibilities of stretching sound.
The film peaks in its poignancy and beauty when Zehnder collaborates with the Throat Singers of Tuva, an ensemble from Mongolia, and the melding of vocal styles from two different parts of the world is an incredible process to watch. As a parallel storyline, Stucky describes the "Swiss blues," and proceeds to sing a striking, evocative melody that proves just that. As cliché as this may sound, truly music is the universal language, and Schwietert makes this point gracefully with the bending of vocal possibilities, reaching across cultures, ranges and emotions, through "Echoes of Home."
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