Oscar-Winning Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir Scores Billie Eilish's Debut Film

Oscar-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir is currently writing the music for Sarah Polley's film adaptation of "The Bell Jar," which features pop icon Billie Eilish in her first starring role. Guðnadóttir joined the project early to write themes that filmmaker Polley could play on set, building on a working relationship that began with the 2022 film "Women Talking."

Creative Process

Before Eilish started filming, Guðnadóttir connected with the singer to discuss how the music could translate the core theme of Sylvia Plath's writing, which is a search for identity. The composer notes that working with a fellow Oscar-winning musician helps because Eilish understands the writing process. Guðnadóttir also spent time reading Plath's books, essays, and poems to highlight the life and creativity in her work rather than focusing only on her struggles.

Other Projects

Before heading to the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent, Guðnadóttir finished mixing "Enemies," an Ari Aster-produced A24 thriller directed by Henry Dunham and starring Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler. She also scored Nia DaCosta's film "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," where she used an unusual source for her percussion instruments.

Bone Percussion

For the "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" score, Guðnadóttir gathered leftover bones from a butcher through a friend who runs a hamburger shop near Berlin. She boiled the bones herself to create different types of percussion, using shoulder bones for clapping sounds, larger bones for deep beats, and smaller ones to accompany flutes, while director Nia DaCosta requested string elements.

Context

Film composers often collaborate closely with directors and actors well before a movie finishes filming to shape the emotional tone of the story. Using unconventional materials to create unique soundscapes is a common practice in modern film scoring to build distinct sonic identities for different cinematic worlds.