The medium of television is evolving quite rapidly thanks to the rise of streaming. Without the limitations of regular network conventions such as commercial breaks and formulaic plotting, filmmakers are able to really attempt new things and ideas without feeling bogged down by the typical TV structure. And without these advances, we might not have seen something like “This is Music.”
According to Variety, acclaimed filmmaker Wim Wenders is teaming up with David Byrne, Joachim Trier, and Julie Andem for a new anthology series, “This is Music.” The high-concept anthology aims to answer the question about what music really is and where it comes from. The series will answer those questions using “highly diverse dramatic episodes,” each by a “name director with their own characteristic approach.”
“We really liked the idea of a series concept playfully blurring the line between (science-) fiction and documentary: Each episode seemingly presents a possible scientific explanation on an aspect of music,” said Léa Germain, Road Movies producer and head of development. “BUT actually the stories are mostly totally fictional, funny, poetical… because the fascinating thing about music IS its magical character!”
“This is Music” is written by Bjørn Olaf Johannessen, who previously worked with Wenders on the 2005 feature, “Every Thing Will Be Fine.”
Obviously, Wenders is a legendary filmmaker, and his love of music is well-documented. His documentary about Cuban music, “Buena Vista Social Club,” was nominated for an Oscar after its release and has since been added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress. He’s also known for films such as “Pina,” “The Salt of the Earth,” “Paris, Texas” and “Wings of Desire.”
As for the other filmmakers, David Byrne is best known as the frontman for the band The Talking Heads and was the subject of the recent concert film, “David Byrne’s American Utopia.” Director Joachim Trier is the filmmaker behind recent films such as “Louder Than Bombs” and “Thelma.” And Julie Andem rose to prominence as the creator of the popular Norwegian young adult series, “Skam.”
Obviously, this series is still in the early stages and we don’t know who might join the cast and where you can go to watch “This is Music.” However, with these names leading the way as filmmakers, the series is definitely going to draw a lot of attention.
