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IDFA2024 Theremin An Electronic Odyssey 1

Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey

Steven M. Martin / US, GB, 1993 / 83 min.

A portrait of the remarkable life of Léon Theremin (1896-1993) and his most successful invention, the theremin. Hollywood fully embraced the uncanny sound of this electronic musical instrument in the 1940s and 50s.

poster IDFA 2024

In the 1920s and 30s, Russian inventor Léon Theremin (1896-1993) was a phenomenal success on concert stages in New York. Audiences went crazy for the sound of his theremin, a musical instrument that is played without being touched, which was for many people the first electronic instrument they had ever heard. But in the late 1930s, he vanished from the scene and returned to Russia under mysterious circumstances.

Theremin: An Electronic Odyssee, winner of the Documentary Filmmakers Trophy at Sundance in 1994, paints a picture of an exceptional life using archive footage and extensive interviews with friends and colleagues from his glory years. His personal story is intercut with that of his brainchild, the theremin, which shot to popularity in America.

The spooky sounds it generated were heard in creepy Hollywood science fiction movies in the 1940s and 50s. Musicians and composers working in that era tell us all about the development of the theremin, how it works, and how it laid the foundations for new electronic musical instruments, making its mark on modern pop music.

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Details

Director

Steven M. Martin

Production year

1993

Country

US, GB

Length

83 min.

Language

English, Russian

Subtitles

ENG

Part of

IDFA 2024

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is once again bringing an exciting selection of the world's best documentaries to Eye this year, from November 14 until 24.

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IDFA2024 Theremin An Electronic Odyssey 2
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