CIM Alum's Film of Journey Through Spain Premieres at Cleveland International Film Festival

In 2014, Cleveland Institute of Music alumnus and Cleveland Orchestra cellist Dane Johansen (BM ’05, Aaron) set out for Northern Spain with a mission to record Bach’s six Suites for Solo Cello in historic churches along the famed 500-mile Camino de Santiago trail. Making the trek with filmmaker Tristan Cook, and with his cello strapped to his back, Johansen filmed the sometimes arduous journey, capturing not just his performances but conversations with locals, the sprawling vistas and the quiet moments in between. From the footage he created the documentary Strangers on the Earth, which airs throughout the week at the 2017 Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF).  

Johansen explained to cleveland.com that the venture started as a recording project but changed into something bigger. “It was initially something I was going to do for myself. But then the experience changed and I had to just let it be what it was going to become. Once I made that shift, it was so much better,” he said. “It was a really great way to experience being a musician. All of a sudden, my music-making was totally on my terms.”

Despite sometimes frozen fingers and sore muscles, Johansen finished the journey with the material for his album, which is still a work in progress. Strangers on Earth will play at the CIFF at 5:40pm on April 4; 4pm on April 5; and 11:10am on April 9. Read more of the interview with Johansen on cleveland.com.