93 - Asking the Big Existential Questions with "Nine Days"

"Nine Days" is an unusual and remarkable film. A kind of supernatural fable about aspiring souls enduring a rigorous interview process in order to get chosen for life. It is an incredible debut from gifted filmmaker Edson Oda, and we are very proud to see this film finally get a theatrical release, as it was a recipient of the Dolby Institute Fellowship, which gives independent films funding to mix their films in Dolby Atmos®. And we couldn't be more pleased with how this film turned out!

We recently spoke with writer and director Edson Oda, supervising sound designer Mac Smith, and re-recording mixer Brandon Proctor, about how they managed to craft such a thought-provoking film which asks some of the most provocative questions about existence itself. But it does so in a very subtle way, as the film invites audiences to craft their own interpretations and meanings. This was all very much by design:

"As a filmmaker, we always want to give enough [information] and not give more than that. And I'm not just talking about storytelling. I think it's [the same] for sound or images – or anything – when you're telling a story. You want to leave some gaps, so the audience can fill in those gaps with their imagination. I think that's, for the most part, the thing that can happen when someone has contact with any piece of art, or any piece of work, or anything that they see: 'Okay, now I'm going to complete this with my assumptions, with my images, with my history, my imagination.'"

— Edson Oda, Director, "Nine Days"

The film just entered a wider release, so be sure to check out "Nine Days" in a Dolby Cinema while you still can. 

Many thanks to our friends at Sony Pictures Classics for giving this film the release it deserves and for helping us pull this conversation together this week.

Please subscribe to Sound + Image Lab: The Dolby Institute Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also check out the video for this episode.

Learn more about the Dolby Institute and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.