Original score from the 2024 documentary feature film directed by Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter, produced by Manon et Jacob, released by Modern Films (UK).

THE STORY: Married artists Joel and Maggie share a loving bond, but Maggie feels overshadowed. This brave film explores their extraordinary confrontations as they navigate love, aging, and the creative process.

THE SCORE: “The score that I composed for Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other was born from Maggie Barrett’s original improvisations that occur during the film. Just as the cinematography honours Joel Meyerowitz’s visual language, so too does the score stem from Maggie’s music. Her moving pieces serve as an emotional pulse throughout – and her unique style provided a starting point from which I could build, organically and authentically growing from her ingredients. Writing music for this documentary was an emotional experience. I watched the footage a lot and built pieces that responded to what felt like the truth of the sequences. One great insight for this film was to allow for space: the bold art of silence. The film is spacious and allows its audience to look around and spend time in the sequences. I wanted the music to lift certain sequences, but never emote: the camera never guides the audience, so why should the music? This soundtrack was born from collaboration and emotional courage.” – Diogo Strausz

THE COMPOSER: Brazil-born Diogo Strausz is a film composer and musician whose illustrious career has spanned many genres. His frequent collaborations with Manon et Jacob include several films and music projects. Diogo has also produced and collaborated with Jacob Perlmutter on two studio albums. Diogo’s hit track “Flight of Sagittarius” was released by the French label Cracki Records. The record also features a lush disco-orchestral reimagining of “Os Tincoãs” classic, “Deixa A Gira Girar.” Diogo has also remixed for artists like BaianaSystem – crafted in collaboration with New York’s Razor N’ Tape – and legends such as Gal Costa and Marília Mendonça. Living between São Paulo and Paris, Diogo has left his mark on the music world through studio collaborations with names like Mario Caldato Jr., Manu Gavassi, Chay Suede, and Alice Caymmi. His audiovisual piece “Pausa”, the video for which was made by Manon et Jacob, was released by the UK’s Far Out Records, while tracks from his project Balako have been championed by DJs like Gilles Peterson and Bill Brewster.

RB250022 TWO STRANGERS TRYING NOT TO KILL EACH OTHER (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed by DIOGO STRAUSZ featuring MAGGIE BARRETT
Release date: May 7, 2025