#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “THE HISTORY OF SOUND”

MUBI, the global distributor, streaming service and production company, has released the official trailer and artwork for Oliver Hermanus’ (Living, Moffie) latest feature film The History of Sound, in theaters from September 19, 2025.

Directed by Oliver Hermanus and written by Ben Shattuck (based on his short story), the film stars Paul Mescal (Gladiator, Aftersun, All of us Strangers), Josh O’Connor (The Crown, Challengers, La Chimera) and Chris Cooper (Adaptation, American Beauty, The Bourne Identity).

SYNOPSIS
Starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, THE HISTORY OF SOUND is a sweeping, moving and tender romance that spans decades and continents. It tells the story of a love that can’t last, a life forever altered, and the ways in which music creates bonds between us that echo for a lifetime.

In 1917, Lionel (Mescal, Aftersun) – a young, talented music student – meets David (O’Connor, Challengers) at the Boston Conservatory, where a connection over a deep love of music leads to a fleeting love affair. They reconnect years later, leading to an impromptu journey through the backwoods of Maine to collect traditional folk songs. This unexpected reunion and the music they preserve will shape the course of Lionel’s life for decades to come.

Sumptuously realised by director Oliver Hermanus (Living) and based on a short story by Ben Shattuck, this is a beautiful and compelling cinematic experience that invites audiences to reflect on the power of music and love.

DIRECTOR STATEMENT
I’ve been living with this film, this story, for five years. This film has been a personal and defining journey; it has moved me to a new country, educated me about the power of music and song, it has conjured a re-evaluation of love and the bonds that last a lifetime.

The History of Sound is not simply the story of queer lives hidden due to a time of denial, of shame and secrecy. It is the story of a man’s life, expressed through the power of sound — as memory, as emotion… As family.

Our film is an offering of an idea, a very potent one – what if one’s first love, one’s great love, and one’s last love are all in one, and all too soon in one’s life…? What it is to live a life that is an echo? What does it sound like, in retrospect? And if offered a choice, would you change the course of your life’s path?

Made with a deep affection for cinema that does not shout or scream its intension, our film invites you to enjoy song and spirit, to celebrate life in all its wonder — its losses, its grief, its remembrance, and most of all, its undeniable and indelible mark – love.

THE HISTORY OF SOUND WILL BE IN THEATRES ACROSS CANADA FROM SEPTEMBER 19, 2025