Afterwar by Erik K Skodvin

Erik K Skodvin channels the darkness and melancholy going through the 4 protagonists in Afterwar; a docu-fiction hybrid film set in Kosovo - filmed over 15 years, which deals with the aftermath of war.

The 9 pieces selected here can be seen as a sort of mini-soundtrack which both sum up the general atmosphere of the film as well as create its own standalone listening experience - filled with reflection and thought, meant to be extended into our own lives. Shorter pieces, set to daily activities such as prayer and work are mixed with deep existentialism that mirror the protagonists struggles in various parts of life. Musically, the soundtrack is based mostly on zither, cello and analogue synth which are performed and composed by Skodvin. Additionally, Danish artist Katrine Grarup Elbo contributes wordless voice and violin - noticeably heard on the closing piece, “It’s better asleep”, which in the end did not get used in the film.

Director Birgitte Stærmose originally met the cast in 2008 when they were children selling cigarettes and peanuts on the streets of postwar Pristina and returned again in 2018 to film for another 5 years with them as adults. The film builds on the lived experience of the cast and is based on extensive interviews and a co-creation process with them. They tell their collective story through monologues spoken directly to the camera as well as staged, scripted scenes, sometimes together with professional actors and sometimes with amateurs. This is not a documentary; nor a true fiction film, but a performative testament to the war that lives on in people, when the fighting is over.

Erik K Skodvin is a master of enveloping the listener into a world that is both monumental and suspenseful.

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