Premiere Date: August 22, 2006
Synopsis
Alan Lomax was "the song hunter." He devoted his life to recording the world's folk tunes before they would permanently disappear with the rise of the modern music industry. In Lomax the Songhunter, filmmaker Rogier Kappers seeks to tell Lomax's story by interviewing friends such as Pete Seeger, combining it with archival recordings of music greats Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly, and gathering footage of the cotton fields, rock quarries and prisons where Alan Lomax captured America’s quintessential music. Finally, Kappers followed the route that Lomax took so many years ago and traveled to remote villages in Spain and Italy, hearing memories and music from the farmers, shepherds and weavers whose songs Lomax recorded decades earlier.
Are you aware of our Comment Policy?
* Your email address is for verification purposes only and will not be published, shared, or sold to other entities.
Filmmaker
Lomax is my hero, a Robin Hood-like figure who stood up for the music of poor people and passed it on to the world through radio programs and LPs.”
— Rogier Kappers, Filmmaker
View the Film
Film Update
August 17, 2006
Critical Acclaim
Mr. Kappers, in an inspired stroke, travels to places Mr. Lomax visited during a long career of collecting the world's folk music on tape. He finds some of the people Mr. Lomax captured and plays the old recordings for them. Watching their faces light up is beautiful.”
&mdash Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times
Upcoming Films
The Way We Get By
Wednesday, November 11
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Wednesday, December 30
Reviews & Reactions
Average Review
| based on 3 reviews
this was an excellent undertaking and i enjoyed it tremendously, both from an artistic and also from an entertaining point of view.
i remember hearing lomax tracks in chicago, 46 years ago, on the radio show ''the midnight special' and being totally fascinated by them.
POV might also want to consider looking into that radio program. it was a real eye-opener for me into all kinds of music!
by Jo Webber
August 23, 2009, 7:35 PM
and correct my rating to FIVE stars!!!!! my hand must have slipped.....or something.
this was truly excellent!
by jo webber
August 23, 2009, 7:39 PM
Application to news
I was most moved by Alan Lomax's interview with CBS-TV in 1991. At the end of the documentary Lomax describes what could be applicable to how we convey our news-and-information today:
"I think our job is to represent all the submerged cultures in the world. I mean, you and your CBS and all the big amusement industries represent a way of silencing everybody. Communication was supposed to be two way, but it turned out to be basically one way. From those people who can afford to own a transmitter which costs a few million dollars to a little guy who can afford to own a receiver that costs a few bucks.
"So there are millions of receivers and people at the other end, and only a few transmitters. I think that is one of the major -- if not thee major human problem now. Because everybody is off the air."
by Alan Kania from Parker, Colorado
September 5, 2009, 12:23 PM