When Björk Met Attenborough
| When Björk Met Attenborough | |
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Title card
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| Directed by | Louise Hooper |
| Starring |
Björk David Attenborough |
| Narrated by | Tilda Swinton |
| Country of origin | England Iceland |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Lucas Ochoa |
| Producer(s) | Caroline Page |
| Running time | 47 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Pulse Films One Little Indian Records |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 4 |
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| External links | |
| Website | |
| When Björk Met Attenborough | ||||
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| Video by Björk | ||||
| Released | 5 May 2014 | |||
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When Björk Met Attenborough is a 2013 documentary television film directed by Louise Hooper, executive produced by Lucas Ochoa and produced by Caroline Page. It was aired for the first time on 27 July 2013 on Channel 4, in conjunction with Pulse Films and One Little Indian Records. Partly filmed at the Natural History Museum in London, the documentary features an encounter between Icelandic singer-songwriter and musician Björk and English broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough. They discuss the nature of music and the intersection between music, nature and technology. It also follows the singer as she prepares for her Biophilia Tour, along with rehearsal and studio recording.
The documentary was inspired by the singer's eighth studio album Biophilia (2011), which was released as a series of apps which blends nature elements with musicology. Collaborators in the project Scott Snibbe, Damian Taylor, and Andy Cavatorta appear in the documentary to talk about their role in the development of the album and the live show. It also includes neurologist Oliver Sacks, who talks about the effect of music on the brain.
Despite the low ratings, the show received positive to moderate reviews from critics, who applauded the content of the documentary but, in some cases, criticised the interaction between Attenborough and Björk, which was considered "awkward" and "unlikely". The documentary was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 5 May 2014.
In order of appearance:
When the Biophilia project was first unveiled, it was announced that a documentary including footage of studio recording, interviews and rehearsal for the live performances, which would culminate in the first live performance at the Manchester International Festival, was in the works. While the original idea for the documentary never materialised, the project evolved as a mutual collaboration between David Attenborough and Björk herself. On 1 August 2012, it was reported that UK Channel 4 had inked a deal to air a documentary, tentatively titled Attenborough and Björk: The Nature of Music, that would have included a discussion between the two about the story of music, human's relationship with it and how technology could evolve the way we engage with it. The documentary was inspired by the Biophilia project and would have featured footage commented by Attenborough, along with a showcase of the instruments created for the Biophilia Tour. British-American neurologist Oliver Sacks was also reported to appear in the documentary, explaining "the extraordinary and beneficial effects music has on our brains". The documentary, made by the company Pulse Films, is the first time the British television channel and the company had collaborated. It was directed by Louise Hooper and executive produced by Lucas Ochoa, who commented about the project:
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