We are approaching two years since the untimely death of composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. And yet, even this long after his passing, we are still being graced by new work from the artist. Even well after his death, we were given a beautiful, haunting score for “Mandy.” And now, years later, the musical genius’ first (and, sadly, final) attempt at directing will be released for audiences at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
As part of the early announcements recently made by the folks at the Berlin Film Festival (via Deadline), Jóhannsson’s film “Last and First Men” is set to have its world premiere at the event in February. The film is said to be a 16mm black and white production, narrated by Tilda Swinton, which is based on the novel by Olaf Stapledon. “Last and First Men” is described as a documentary, but it’s more of a multi-media production that features narration written by Jóhannsson and a score that he composed and is performed by the BBC Philharmonic.
“Last and First Men” apparently loosely follows the narrative from the novel, as Swinton’s narration tells the story of the final stretch of human existence on Earth, featuring all the future, sci-fi storytelling that you might expect from Stapledon’s novel. However, the visuals focus on brutalist architecture, sculptures, and other Earthly images, contrasting the story that is being delivered by Swinton.
Hopefully, this is a sign that a bigger release will happen for “Last and First Men,” as film fans are always excited to hear new music from Jóhannsson. Combine that with the fact that he also directed and wrote the feature, and this is probably going to be a surreal experience that gives Jóhannsson’s legion of fans a fitting farewell to an artist that always surprised them.
The 2020 Berlin Film Festival begins on February 20.
