Namibia Crossings (2004)

Namibia Crossings (2004)
Director: Peter Liechti
Country: Switzerland
Runtime: 90



The Hambana Sound Company is a chamber orchestra, initiated and devised by Bernhard Göttert to present a ’sound portrait’ of Namibia in collaboration with musicians from Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Angola, Russia and Namibia.

During its tour in 2001, the Hambana Sound Company staged more than seven concerts in different regions, inviting local artists to participate. The music presents a mixture of traditional melodies and dances, contemporary songs as well as extemporised experiments.

”In NAMIBIA CROSSINGS (...), Liechti accompanies the Hambana Sound Company, a diverse multicultural group of musicians and singers, on a concert tour across Namibia. The film documents an ambitious musical project (...), the aim of which is not only to bring together the most various musical styles - from classical through jazz to traditional African music - but also to provoke a fundamental encounter between cultures. Using only minimal commentary, Liechti records the results of this artistic experiment: both the successful, mostly musical, moments, as well as the worsening conflicts within this heterogeneous ensemble. The film is not a chronicle of a failure: on the contrary, it points out the difficulties of the continuing need for self-determination in a globalized world.”
Constantin Wulff