Zemlya

Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha have written a new soundtrack for the silent film Zemlya (Earth, 1930) by the legendary Soviet director Alexander Dovzhenko (1894-1956). DakhaBrakha's self-professed 'ethno-chaotic' eclectic folk music adds a magic dimension to Dovzhenko's starkly realist, yet passionate ode to the arduous existence in rural Ukraine.

A two-time winner of the Stalin Prize, Dovzhenko was regarded as one of the great Soviet directors. Yet Zemlya casts a critical eye on the violent way in which the Soviets forced agricultural collectivisation on the farmers, and the human suffering it caused. The film is the third and final instalment in Dovzhenko's Ukrainian trilogy, which was received with great acclaim in the West as well as the Soviet-Union. Zemlya is considered one of the best films from the Soviet era. Nevertheless, Soviet critics at the time could not appreciate its poetic imagery and ambiguous themes, which in their view were counterrevolutionary.

In contrast to the first two parts of his trilogy - Zvenyhora and Arsenal - Zemlya focuses on the contemporary radical reforms and dispossessions, which were carried out in rural Ukraine in the name of the communist revolution. The film starts out with the death of grandfather Semyon, an old farmer who passes away peacefully surrounded by family and friends after enjoying a juicy pear. With him, the old ways of farming die as well. The younger generation of Semyon's grandson Vasyl have to break with the past and take a radically new approach, in line with Soviet ideology, which champions mechanisation, collectivisation and atheism – with tragic consequences.

Supported by DakhBrakha's dark, atmospheric music, Dovzhenko's beautifully serene shots slowly build to a breathtaking climax. Their new soundtrack was recorded in 2012, commissioned by the National Oleksandr Dovzhenko Centre as part of a complete, new restoration of the film, based on the version from 1930. According to DakhaBrakha's singer Marko Halanevych, their music makes Zemlya 'even more authentically Ukrainian'. DakhaBrakha is old Ukrainian for 'give and take'. The quartet was established in 2004 by 'arts tsar' Vladislav Troitsky, producer, director, actor and founding father of the DAKH Kiev Centre of Contemporary Arts. Ever since, the group have been touring the world. DakhaBrakha's sound is rooted in Ukrainian folk music, which band members Marko Halanevych, Iryna Kovalenko, Olena Tsibulska and Nina Garenetska collect during field trips to rural villages. They mix this traditional Ukrainian folk music with rhythms and sounds from other countries, cultures and continents, using a range of exotic instruments, such as darbuka, didgeridoo, accordion, djembe, bass drum, bugay, zgaleyka, various percussion instruments and cello. Their ritualistic, trance-like scores combine with intense, passionate vocals building up to tumultuous levels. DakhaBrakha enjoy cult status in their home country, and they're the house band of Kiev's DAKH Theatre, but they've built a name for themselves outside of Ukraine as well, playing at various international theatre, art and pop festivals. Their live performance of the soundtrack to Zemlya will mark their debut at the Holland Festival.