Land of Songs (2016) - Aldona Watts

Taking place in a secluded region of Lithuania known as the "Land of Songs', Aldona Watts' documentary of the same name, focuses on the lives of five sprightly old woman, who may be the last remaining voices of their village's ancient folk traditions.  Living a sustainable lifestyle where they tend to themselves, cut off almost entirely from the modern world, Land of Songs provides an observational study of these five unique woman, providing a tender and lyrical portrait of the importance of personal heritage, with folksongs providing these woman that outlet.  Aldona Watts' Land of Songs is a documentary intent on capturing the secluded lifestyles of these woman, offering up a pensive portrait of tradition and the importance of maintaining one's culture through the ages.  It's a very candid documentary, with many of the woman profiled being incredibly endearing individuals with sharp minds, who speak their minds yet have a surprisingly optimistic perspective on life due to past darkness endured, such as World War II.   Land of Songs captures how these folk songs aren't merely music but a gateway into the history and culture of this small region of Lithuania, one that has been through devastating times during WWII, where both Axis and Ally contended over the region.  The folk-signing tradition is one that is vibrant but also essential, due to this small region seeing war, occupation, and the continued mass exodus of youth to more populace regions, as the residents of this secluded region use the universal language of music as not only a testament to their heritage but also a soothing force on these character's souls, an outlet for these character to express their sorted, and somewhat dark history. While the woman profiled are incredibly upbeat and cheerful, there is a quiet sense of tragedy running through Land of Songs, a film that at times seems to acknowledge that it is documenting a slowly dying culture.   Tender, poetic, and objectively observational, Aldona Watts' Land of Songs beautifully captures the importance of heritage, documenting how our past, present, and environment often define who we are as human beings.  

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