Last Wednesday I headed over to Curzon Soho for one of its ‘DocDays’ events.
The documentary we saw was Sound It Out, directed by Jeanie Finlay, which centres around the last remaining record shop of the same name in her hometown of Teeside. It was screened at SXSW last year to rave reviews and has now become something of a cult hit.
The film itself is a fascinating examination of the varying characters you get in just such an independent store. It’s heartwarming and funny, but also looks at the poverty of the area, which is central to many of the discussions throughout.
Jeanie mentioned in the Q&A afterwards that she had tried to steer clear of presenting people as stereotypes. But that’s just what the film does – and it’s incredibly enjoyable. It provokes a sense of nostalgia that you often lose when filmmakers try to be a little too clever, and that simplicity is what makes it so engaging.
But I digress. The soundtrack, which includes only music recorded less than five miles from Teeside, is packed full of great tunes. The accompanying website to the documentary is also fantastic, so I urge you to listen to the tracks and read the band profiles by clicking here.
The film was crowdfunded by 257 people via the site Indiegogo (including one American solider that wanted to leave the army but needed a producer credit to move into film) and is currently looking for its next stage of funding to show the documentary in ten cinemas across the UK. I can’t find any info on how to donate just yet, but join the Facebook group and keep your eyes peeled.