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Score the Melodies of Morality With 'Del Otro Lado del Jardín'
Composer Toni M. Mir's daring writing has been nominated for an SCL award and deserves your attention.
Dec 10, 2024
In this interview, we dive into the creative mind of Toni M. Mir, a music composer celebrated for his soundtracks across film, television, and more. Nominated for a Goya in 2020 and a distinguished member of multiple cinematic academies, Toni's journey began with a childhood passion for music. His unique approach, rooted in emotional storytelling and innovative harmony, shines through in his latest project, Del Otro Lado del Jardín, now in contention for the SCL Awards.
Join us as Toni discusses his creative process, from interpreting the powerful storyline in Del Otro Lado del Jardín to collaborating with director Dani Posada. He shares how he used traditional South American instruments to infuse cultural authenticity into the film's score which reflects the emotional journeys of its characters. Through his insights, we explore the delicate balance of love and morality expressed through his music, offering a deeper understanding of how sound can transform storytelling.
Let's dive in.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
Editor's note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity.
No Film School: What was your initial reaction to the storyline for Del Otro Lado del Jardín, and how did it influence your creative process?
Toni M. Mir: When I read the script for Del Otro Lado del Jardín, I was impressed by the story. I needed to investigate Carlos Frahm, his life, and try to understand how he felt and what drove his actions at that time. I truly believed it was a powerful story that needed to be told, with music playing a crucial role in expressing the conflicts, inner battles, and other themes not directly visible in the script. I found a lot of sensitivity, love, courage, and emotion.
I wrote notes about the characters and their interactions throughout the story. I made drawings of Carlos Frahm’s universe and his relationships with other characters. I decided I needed two main themes: one for Carlos and another for the prosecutor. I wanted them to start far apart, gradually coming closer as the story progressed, until the moment she understands him through her own parallel story. At that point, I would merge both themes into one. This was my musical foundation for building the rest of the score.
NFS: How did the director’s vision influence your musical choices?
Mir: Dani Posada, the director, had a very clear vision for telling the story. He was captivated by the novel and wanted to present the facts to the audience so they could judge Carlos. He gave me complete freedom to express the story through my music, and collaborating with him during the creative process was a great experience.
I aimed to convey the pain Carlos felt when he saw his mother suffering and his desire to help her die, despite her being the person he loved most. To achieve this, I used the cello and violin—one representing him and the other her—against a backdrop of tremolo folk string guitars like the tiple or charango. This added tension and highlighted the difficulty of making an irreversible decision. Additionally, the sound of Colombian folk guitars connected the story to their roots and cultural heritage.
NFS: How did you approach integrating cultural elements authentically in the score?
Mir: My idea was to create a score with a touch of Colombian and South American flavor. That’s why I used instruments such as Tiple and Charango. The harmonies and melodies aren’t necessarily traditional, but by adding these guitars, we can feel the color of the territories. I used these guitars specially in the scenes with Carlos, the mother and Botero. For the prosecutor, I created a more intriguing sound, since the personal battle she’s confronted with during her storyline is something that she struggles with by herself, so this music reflects an internal anguish.
NFS: What was the collaborative process like with other musicians involved in the project?
Mir: I worked intensely with the tiple and charango player, the incredibly talented Eduard Iniesta. He needed to convey the story’s sensitivity while adding a Colombian flavor. Although the harmonies and styles weren't Colombian, I wanted the unique color of these instruments. Eduard did a fantastic job, both in playing and understanding the use of the charango and tiple.
We also created ambient sounds with tremolos to heighten tension and intrigue in certain scenes. The violinist and cellists were crucial to the film, representing the two main characters, Carlos and his mother. They played in a raw style, with microphones placed close to capture the bow’s plucking on the strings. I communicated with these musicians to convey the essence of the story.
For instance, in a pivotal scene where the prosecutor faces a decision between her heart and her duty, she experiences a struggle similar to Carlos’s. This scene features a cello solo, and we discussed how the cello should express her loneliness. Thanks to Ana Fernández, Marçal Ayats, and the Quartet Gerard for bringing my music to life with their amazing performances.
NFS: How did you develop the music to reflect Carlos Framb’s (the main character) emotional journey?
Mir: We begin the film with sweet music and vocals, representing the relationship between Carlos as a child and his mother. We see him following her in a garden, but suddenly he gets caught on some branches and can't follow her—symbolizing her passing. At that moment, the music shifts into a nightmare-like quality as Carlos wakes up in a hospital. From then on, the music accompanies him throughout the story, evolving with his emotional states such as pain and love until the film's end. It was crucial for Carlos’ motif to reflect his honesty and his journey toward the truth. His path is filled with love, pain, and honesty, and I aimed to capture that in the music.
NFS: What techniques did you use to reflect the evolving relationship between Carlos and The Prosecutor?
Mir: Like the film’s storyline, and musically, Carlos and the Prosecutor are very distant from one another at the beginning of the film, with two different themes. But as the story progresses, and their character journeys start getting more in sync, the music does the same. For the prosecutor, I use more intriguing music. She is very cold, she seems to transmit a lot of security, but little by little we see that there is something inside her that is generating conflict. So with the music, I transmit this sensation and get closer and closer to the musical theme of Carlos, until there’s a moment where she understands him, and that’s when the two themes come together in one.
NFS: How did your work on this film differ from your previous projects?
Mir: I believe every movie is unique, just like each story, and the music must be unique as well. In this case, I needed to convey emotions that aren't visible on screen and highlight moments that are. It was important to delicately help explain the story. For this film, the music needed to remain neutral, avoiding any bias toward Carlos without understanding the full story. I didn’t want the music to sway the audience's feelings about the characters. Gradually, as more information is revealed, the music becomes more emotionally connected with the storyline.
I recently composed music for another film about euthanasia, "Dreaming of Lions," but from a different angle as it was a dark comedy. There, I emphasized the surreal and absurd aspects of the comedy. "Del Otro Lado Del Jardín" is a drama based on a real story, requiring respect and delicacy. The subtle Colombian touch also adds a unique element.
In my upcoming film, an animated feature called Kayara releasing in 2025, I explore Andean culture since it's about a girl in an Andean civilization. For that, I used more traditional wind instruments blended with an orchestra.
NFS: How do you see your music contributing to the broader conversation about love and morality portrayed in the film?
Mir: The music in this movie helps convey love. The storyline plants moral questions, and the music supports this by creating doubt at certain points, using silences that are crucial in relation to the dialogues. This approach helps generate questions and answers about what is moral and what isn’t.
Carlos’ love for his mother is unconditional, even though viewers might have doubts at times. The movie explores the search for true love, and the music aims to express this. In scenes where dialogue focuses on morality, the music is simple and minimal, featuring a charango solo to create space for debate. In other scenes, where the strength of love is deeper, I used strings and a wall of tremolos to portray the emotional journey and pain.
Being part of the narrative and serving the story was a challenge, but I’m very pleased with the outcome. It was a wonderful and fulfilling experience.
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