Renowned French film-maker and sound explorer Vincent Moon is one of the international guests at this year’s Ritmu Roots Festival, being held from May 21 to 24.
Moon has already archived thousands of pieces of traditional music from around the world, filmed Indie rock artists and better-known musicians such as R.E.M, Tom Jones and Arcade Fire.
He is staying in Malta for a fortnight and will add Maltese traditional and local music, communal gatherings and practices as well as għana tradition to his repertoire, helping to preserve their memory and to document them for an international audience.
Two festival events will showcase his work in archiving and filming world music.
Documenting Musical Traditions – A presentation by Vincent Moon
The global wanderer is dedicated to documenting the world’s multiplicity of musical and ritualistic practices through his evocative ethno-musical films.
Travelling with nothing but a backpack and a camera, he seeks out rare musical rituals, documenting astonishing performances that often go unseen by the wider world.
Driven by a deep curiosity and respect for cultural heritage, Moon’s work invites audiences to see their own traditions through a new lens.
This event offers a unique opportunity to explore the creative and ethical frameworks behind his innovative approach to film-making, sound exploration and the documentation of musical traditions.
The presentation is being held on May 21 at 7.30 pm at The Splendid, Strait Street, Valletta. Tickets from here.
Vincent Moon Live Cinéma
Moon’s ongoing project, Collection Petites Planètes, features more than 1,300 films documenting local territorial music, sacred chants, trance ceremonies and experimental sounds which are all publicly accessible.
Described as an optical ritual and a call to the personal unconscious hidden behind our collective images, Vincent Moon’s Live Cinéma offers an intense, improvised performance. It draws upon decades of research into musical and mystical practices from around the world, embarking on an endless search for contemporary trance.
His local performance will feature images and sounds gathered and recorded during his two-week stay in Malta. Local artists such as Joon, Marċ Funebri and għana singers will perform with him on stage, inviting all to partake on this musical and communal journey.
The event is being held on May 24 at 10.30pm at the Argotti Gardens, Floriana. One can book here.
Ritmu Roots Festival is organised by Festivals Malta under the artistic direction of Andrew Alamango. For more information and the full programme, visit ritmu.mt.
The Embassy is sponsoring and hosting Moon’s stay in Malta.