Sounds From a Safe Harbour (SFSH) has long been regarded as more than just a music festival; it is a creative incubator, a space where the boundaries between artist and audience blur in the historic city of Cork. Now, that fleeting magic has been immortalised in Echo in the Future, a new short film by acclaimed filmmaker Derrick Belcham.
Captured during SFSH25 last September, the film serves as a poetic response to the festival’s unique ecosystem. It is not merely a concert film, but a visual tapestry of the “fleeting but fertile” creativity that defines the event.
A Convergence of Ritual and Sound
Echo in the Future focuses on the residency and performances of Danish indie-rock luminaries Efterklang, accompanied by Peter Broderick, Tatu Rönkkö, and a diverse collective of international and Irish artists.
The film moves beyond standard performance capture, weaving together music, spoken word, and ritual. It highlights the profound creative chemistry between Efterklang’s Casper Clausen and acclaimed author Max Porter, whose words anchor the film’s narrative. Through Belcham’s lens, viewers witness the real-time unfolding of chance encounters and the creative resonance that occurs when artists are given the space to experiment freely.
Capturing “Joyful Collisions”
The challenge of documenting a festival known for improvisation and spontaneity is significant. Belcham approached the project not as a linear documentarian but as an artist responding to the environment around him.
Reflecting on the process and the atmosphere of Cork during the festival, Filmmaker Derrick Belcham shared his vision in a poignant statement:
“Sounds From A Safe Harbour is a place of indeterminacy… joyful collisions of word and sound accumulate over days of new beginnings, careful retreadings and random causality… after the time that I spent with Efterklang and everyone that they encountered this September, I wanted to pay tribute to those intersections with something non-linear, poetic and truthful to the feeling of being in the temporary but fertile soil of the residency and festival… this is a very small collection of those moments, only a very few that I captured with my camera, but I’m very glad to have made the journey and to have been allowed into such a beautiful, ephemeral place.”
Watch the film below, featuring Efterklang with Peter Broderick, Tatu Rönkkö, and many more. Words written and performed by Casper Clausen and Max Porter. Filmed in Cork at SFSH25:
The Essence of the Festival
The film has received high praise from the festival’s leadership for its ability to distil the emotional weight of the event into a short format.
Mary Hickson, Festival Director of SFSH, noted the film’s delicate handling of the artists’ experience:
“Derrick has very beautifully captured the essence of SFSH through the experience of our Finale hosts and longtime friends Efterklang with the incredible artists in residence from SFSH25. We are very grateful to Derrick for his gentle and artful representation of this galvanizing and unifying experience.”
Echo in the Future stands as a testament to the power of temporary communities. While the festival itself may only last a few days, Belcham’s film ensures that the lightning caught in the bottle—the whispers, the rituals, and the music—will echo long into the future.
Performed by:
Efterklang with Peter Broderick & Tatu Rönnkö
featuring:
Amanda Bergman
Angie McMahon
Atli Örvarsson
Beth Hussein Meyers
Ben Lanz
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh
Charles Spearin
Charlotte Cornfield
Christof Van Der Ven
Colm Mac Con Iomaire
Gordi
Jon Hopkins
Kate Ellis
Leif Vollebekk
Memorial
Niamh Regan
Petter Winnberg
RÓIS
Soak
Victoria Canal
Also featuring:
Creatures from Opening Ritual by Billy MagFhloinn
Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra with conductor Cormac McCarthy
Maria Berzukava, Conceição Maria Ferreira, and Donal Finn from Your Voice by Simon Stephens, Imogen Knight and Lincoln Barrett and Mary Hickson.
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