DVD review: In Pursuit of Silence (4 out of 5)

The concept of silence is a strange one. We are all too aware of noise but can we ever achieve a state where there is no sound?
In Pursuit of SilenceIn Pursuit of Silence
In Pursuit of Silence

This fascinating documentary looks at all aspects of being quiet.

However, as controversial composer John Gage discovered, locking yourself into a room designed to eradicate any sound doesn’t work.

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He could hear a high pitch and a low pitch sound - the noises emanating from his own body.

The film is beautifully shot and is actually rather calming, particularly the first few minutes with some restful scenic shots.

The modern world’s pursuit of technology at any cost means that accompanying sounds are inevitable.

But there is a growing movement to steer clear of invasive noise.

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The Noise Abatement Society is a well known charity, but across the world there are people focused on keeping quiet and challenging the need to make more sound.

We attend a peaceful tea ceremony in Kyoto, but also visit the streets of Mumbai, the noisiest city on the world.

We observe TV debates where everyone is shouting at each other and hear about large corporations looking to quieten their products.

Quiet Mark is featured in the film as one of the solutions to noise pollution. It provides pioneering work to encourage companies worldwide to prioritise noise reduction in the design of everyday machines and appliances.

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The biggest problem today is that most of us are probably not even aware of how much noise we are encountering.

This film shows us... quietly.

Critically acclaimed feature documentary ‘In Pursuit of Silence’ is released on DVD in the UK on September 30.

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