Enrique Sánchez Lansch in ‘A Symphony of Noise’ touches on the creative process of artist Matthew Herbert

In A Symphony of Noise, a film participating in the Time of History section at the 66th edition of Seminci, director Enrique Sánchez Lansch draws us close to the figure of artist Matthew Herbert, and covers the process of creating a project centred on sounds, to which he dedicated ten years of his life.

A Symphony of Noise shows Matthew Herbert in the creative process of capturing ambient sounds over a decade. The recording of ambient noises was joined by the production of musical pieces in response to Brexit in England.

The director pointed out, in his meeting with the Festival audience, that his feature-length documentary “has a wealth of his whole development as an artist,” a journey that “enters into the head of the creator” and makes his audience participate in “opening their ears” to everyday noises. For Herbert, the audio tracks arranged in the right order form the basis of a symphony along which he places the voices of a thousand singers.

“The documentary contains material recorded from 2009 to 2019,” says Lansch. “It’s something I didn’t imagine when I started the project, but it’s something that just happened,” he says. During the director’s first contact with Herbert, the musician was known for his concerts. “Now he is dedicated to expanding our world through sound,” Enrique explained. Since 2009, Matthew has undergone an evolution towards other forms of acoustic perception such as film or theatre.

The artist’s aim, according to Enrique Sánchez Lansch, is now to “change the world through sounds.” “A huge challenge”, he explains, which Herbert has set himself and which began in 2009 at the start of the film piece. The Valladolid International Film Festival is once again hosting the work of Enrique Sánchez Lansch after Esto es ritmo [This is Rhythm] in 2004 and Piano Encounters in 2010. A symphony of Noise will be screened at the Cervantes Theatre on Saturday 23rd at 16.00h and Sunday 24th at 11.30h.