When I bought tickets to the film 32 Sounds, I could not imagine how one could create “an immersive documentary” about sound, but I came out agreeing with Rolling Stone reviewer David Fear who wrote “It’s the greatest documentary you’ve ever heard.”

One aspect of the film that continues to haunt me is his concept of “lost sound.” He uses this term in conjunction with the voice of his beloved brother, who committed suicide, and to the  mating call of what is believed to have been the very last male Moho braccatus (bird) on earth whose mate was killed in a hurricane.

In considering the concept of “lost sound” my mind turned to Notre Dame and how this Parisian cathedral, built between 1163 and 1345, is being reconstructed after the 2019 fire, using ancient techniques and tools. The “lost sounds” of a multitude of workers crafting in this traditional manner haven’t been heard for centuries.

The following day—Father’s Day—my husband and I went to Genesee Country Village and Museum. There, as I listened to the sloshing of still-liquid cream being churned into butter, the fire crackling in a wood stove where a period-recipe cake was baking, and the creak of centuries-old floors lamenting the passing of time, I again recognized those “lost sounds” that we no longer hear in everyday life. How many other lost sounds are there that we don’t even know are missing?

That Father’s Day evening, my mind turned to my own Father, who passed away unexpectedly when I was 14. I wondered whether his image and “lost voice” might be captured for posterity on the old reel-to-reel films my sister has in storage. I promised myself I’d investigate.

Toward the end of the film, Sam admits that a friend challenged him to listen to some old cassettes his sister had resurrected from her basement. He had told her to throw them out, but fortunately, she’d refused and sent them on to him instead.

There, amidst the telephone cassette recordings, was the “lost sound” of his lost brother. 

How amazing that sound can transcend time in a way that’s very different from photos.

Originally published in BeyondtheNest.com, Rochester’s FREE weekly guide to Arts, Culture & Recreation