Original score from the 2017 drama feature film directed by Wiktor Ericsson, starring Stanislaw Cywka, Nelly Axelsson and Torkel Petersson, produced by Anagram and Way Creative Films, released by TriArt Films (Sweden).

THE STORY: A love story of the son of a Polish guestworker and the daughter of a Swedish farmer. Set in the strawberry fields of the Swedish south, it depicts a world full of divergency and prejudice.

THE SCORE: “Hanan was one of the composers whose music I was listening to as I was writing the script. When he came onboard we tried out several different approaches to the music, but while editing we found out that what we needed was a really simple and intimate score. We used one of the cues that Hanan composed early on as the main building block, this beautiful almost elliptical piano piece that eventually became the main love theme. To that Hanan added the sound of saw, which gave the score in parts this almost otherworldly character. The film portrays a sometimes very bleak reality, the world of the migrant workers, but the music adds a dimension to the story, a sense of wonder and magic. It gives the film this almost fairytale quality.” – Wiktor Ericsson

THE COMPOSER: Hanan Townshend is an award-winning composer known for his poetic orchestral scoring and evocative, cinematic commercial work. A longtime collaborator of legendary filmmaker Terrence Malick, Townshend made his mark in film with his piano arrangements for the Palme d’Or-winning The Tree of Life (2011). He went on to compose the score for Malick’s To the Wonder (2014), collaborating on sonics with acclaimed producer Daniel Lanois, followed by Knight of Cups (2015), Voyage of Time (2016), and ongoing contributions to Malick’s future projects. Beyond his work with Malick, Townshend has scored an array of acclaimed feature films, including Julio Quintana’s Blue Miracle (2021) and The Long Game (2023). A native of New Zealand, Townshend studied at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University before furthering his education in film scoring and production at the University of Texas. He now composes for international projects from his studio in Austin, Texas.

MMS17004 • STRAWBERRY DAYS (Jordgubbslandet) (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed by HANAN TOWNSHEND
Release date (digital): March 31, 2017