This illuminating hour-long 1993 documentary will rewire your brain.

Sometimes you come across a documentary, article, essay or DJ mix that explodes your world. Something you didn’t realize you needed until it hits you, after which whole portals of potential passions beckon you to explore further. 

In 1993, acclaimed independent documentary filmmaker Michael Blackwood directed his attention on four composers who were then in the midst of career-defining work: Laurie Anderson, Tania Leon, Meredith Monk, and Pauline Oliveros. The result is an hour-long, expertly edited exploration of their work. 

Blackwood started making documentaries in 1966, and, according to his bio, “has produced and directed more than 150 films during the course of his career, aiming to create a permanent record of some of the leading figures in the cultural landscape of our time. His main interest is in the areas of architecture, art, music and dance. Coming out of a background of cinema verite, narration is used very sparingly, if at all, which allows the subjects to speak for themselves. This approach makes these documentations meaningful primary source material.”

“The Sensual Nature of Sound: 4 Composers” is filled with thoughtful conversations and performances from each of the four. That they all happen to be women is a focus, but instead of mansplaining Blackwood wisely allows the quartet to discuss the challenges and biases implicit in being an “other” in a man’s world. A masterful work, “The Sensual Nature of Sound” will rewire your brain.

Watch in full here: https://vimeo.com/713460222/ab9ab136eb

(Click the link because the full video can’t be embedded here)

Watch more films from Michael Blackwood: https://pioneerworks.org/broadcast/stream/michael-christian-blackwood

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