Men Who Sing is a lovely, harmonised cwtch: a charming, touching documentary film that proves what we all know – Wales is a true land of song. Widower Ed is moving out of the family house in Rhyl and his son, filmmaker Dylan Williams, is drawn back to the home he shared with his parents – that, as a young man, he couldn’t wait to escape. Travelling from his settled home with a young family of his own in Sweden, Williams helps his dad move out and comes to realise what their relationship is and was, and the role the Trelanwyd Male Voice Choir has played in his father’s life.
Men Who Sing is a chance to reconnect and to document – with tenderness and skill – the immense power of togetherness a choir can bring to everyone who gives voice. The choir’s average age is 74 and full of characters, from wing-walking ball of positivity Gwyn to Merf, diagnosed with cancer and using the choir as a focus to get him through his treatments as they head towards a competition in Bangor, Northern Ireland. There are a few people under 70: Dave, the beard-corralling rocker who gets sucked into their world, and their guide, the formidable conductor Ann – in love with male voice choirs since they soothed her to sleep as a child.
The choir members drop pearls of wisdom about the ageing process and life in general, comparing tests and rectal examinations whilst creating an unspoken brotherhood. A love letter from the filmmaker to his 90-year-old dad that quietly moves as director Williams captures genuine pathos, joy and pride amidst the plastic chairs of community halls.
Dir: Dylan Williams (12A) (78 mins)
In cinemas and streaming on Curzon Home Cinema from Fri 5 Nov
words KEIRON SELF
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