“The Peasants” Used Ukrainian Refugee Choir for Music for Poland’s Oscar Entry – Sound & Film

The farmers The sound and film show featured a full line of Polish dancers in the corridors. Composer Lukas Rostkowski, also known as LUC, said the animated film’s soundtrack also features a choir of refugee singers from Ukraine.

“These ladies came from Ukraine to dance and they were just amateurs,” Rostkowski said. “They sang after the war, because when they sang, it was the only time they didn’t think about the war and the death of their husbands.”

Rostkowski added that many of the film’s painters also lived in Ukraine and had to be evacuated to complete the film.

The farmers is the sequel to directors DK and Hugh Welchman I love Vincent, which features the same animation style where every frame is painted over the actors’ performances. The new film is based on Wladyslaw Reymont’s novel about a 19th-century farmer who marries a rich man.

Rostkowski said the score combines simple Polish and Slavic instruments without electronics.

“It’s probably the lowest carbon soundtrack in the world,” he said.

On the set of The farmersRostkowski played accordion as part of the band performing the score. He called the four-year process of making the film “my film school”.

Rostkowski fondly remembered his film career in Poland, when only one American Western was shown every Saturday. Rostkowski began his music career with guitar and then rap, but struggled to find a niche.

“I was always too hip-hop for jazz, too jazzy for hip-hop,” he said.

Rostkowski said he added body percussion to his guitar for his rap soundtrack.

“Music is in the body,” he said. “Everything is music.”

Rostkowski actually played drums in the band on stage. And he has even more instruments in his repertoire.

“Next time it could be the whistle,” he said.

The farmers is the Polish entry for the Oscar for Best International Film. The limited edition will be released on December 8th.

Come back on Monday for the panel video.