TIRANA, July 18 /ATA/ Albania features in the soundtrack of Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film “The Odyssey,” one of the year’s biggest cinematic releases.
The movie, which had its worldwide premiere this week and is now showing in cinemas globally, is Nolan’s latest adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus and a host of Hollywood stars, the film was shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras and ranks among Nolan’s most ambitious productions.
In an interview published by Vulture/New York Magazine, three-time Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson revealed that, while researching and creating the film’s score, he travelled to southern Albania to record Albanian iso-polyphony, a centuries-old tradition protected by UNESCO, as well as the sounds of traditional Albanian shepherds’ flutes.
“I went to southern Albania and spent a week recording an ancient vocal tradition called iso-polyphony, something I had never heard in a film before,” Göransson said, according to the interview.
He said the team also captured the sounds of the shepherds’ flute, traditionally played by Albanian shepherds for thousands of years. The recordings had to finish before 6 p.m., as the shepherds started their days at 4 a.m. to look after their flocks.
Albanian musician Vendim Kapaj also confirmed the recordings in a public social media post, saying that on July 1, 2025, he spent around five hours working with Ludwig Göransson and his team, performing traditional instruments including the flute and culë dyjare. The recordings also featured Labë vocal songs.
Göransson said Christopher Nolan was not looking for a conventional orchestral score, but a sonic world that would evoke the atmosphere of the Bronze Age. Alongside ancient instruments such as the aulos, lyre and bronze instruments, the composer explored authentic musical traditions from across the Mediterranean region.
The inclusion of Albanian iso-polyphony and traditional instruments in a major Hollywood production marks an important acknowledgement of the country’s cultural heritage and introduces it to audiences worldwide.
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