Worldwide known French band AIR will compose the original score for the high-octane conspiracy thriller PIONEER. This is the first time ever the band is composing music for a Nordic feature. With a style often defined as electronica AIR had their international breakthrough in 1998 with their debut album MOON SAFARI. The band is also known for their close collaboration with director Sofia Coppola.
“For PIONEER we wanted to combine a unique voice of electronic music with a more traditional film score. That is why we wanted to work with AIR and were thrilled when they accepted to do the music for the film. It has been a real pleasure to work with both Nicolas and JB on this project and I really feel they found what we where seeking for”, says producer Christian Fredrik Martin
"Some of them speak Norwegian, some of them speak English, but Erik Skjoldbjærg asked us to use the universal language of sounds to tell a story. For the first time we decided not only to illustrate the beautiful images of a film, but to speak for a man. A man who discovers that searching deep for the truth is more dangerous then diving even deeper into the heart of the North Sea”, says Nicolas Godin (AIR)
“This soundtrack is following the emotions of pioneers diving to the bottom of the North Sea in benefit for the oil companies. We have made Liquid Music for spacing out at 500 meters of depths as well as Percussive Music for suspense in chase and action scenes. We used synths and metallic sounds for the big industrial scenes, underlined the feeling of breathing gas under heavy pressure, horns and strings for the adventurous themes and pianos for the home family moments. We never before illustrated so many different feelings along a mans journey, the journey of the industrial war for carbon resources in the North at the beginning of the 80ies”, says Jean Benoît Dunckel (AIR)
Norwegian Erik Skjoldberg's PIONEER, produced by Friland Film, who was also behind HEADHUNTERS (2011), will have its international premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, screening at the Special Presentation section.
Inspired by 70's classics such as THE CONVERSATION (1974), THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975) and CHINATOWN (1974), PIONEER stars Aksel Hennie (HEADHUNTERS, 2011), Wes Bentley (THE HUNGER GAMES, 2012), Stephen Lang (AVATAR, 2009), and Stephanie Sigman (MISS BALA, 2011). Others starring in PIONEER are Jonathan LaPaglia (NCSI, 2003; COLD CASE, 2003-2010) along with Andre Eriksen, Jørgen Langhelle, Ane Dahl Torp, Eirik Stubø and David A. Jørgensen.
Director Erik Skjoldbærg gained international acclaim with his debut feature film INSOMNIA (1997), which sold to over 20 countries and later remade in Hollywood by director Christopher Nolan. In 2001 Skjoldbærg directed the American feature film PROZAC NATION.
The film is produced by Christian Fredrik Martin from Friland Film. Co-producers are Pandora Filmproduktion, Garagefilm International AB, Film i Väst, Les Films d'Antoine, MRP Matila Röhr Productions and Nordisk Film. The film is supported by Eurimages, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Filmstiftung NRW, Filmförderung HSH, Norwegian Film Institute, Swedish Film Institute, Finnish Film Foundation, CNC - Aide aux Films en Langue Etrangère and MEDIA.