Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Flying Dream : Suite for Symphony Orchestra from the movie Paper Planes

My earliest memories of going to the cinema are filled with the emotional impact of the music. As a child I loved experiencing a range of emotions beyond my years, in the hands of great composers, as they guided the audience through each film. As a result, music has always been at the forefront of the creative choices forming each of our films, collaborating early on with a composer who can, through their music, take the audience so much more profoundly into the story than the pictures alone.

Nigel Westlake has composed a score of profound emotional range for Paper Planes, moving through that same range of emotions that dragged me into a life in film and compelled me to return time and time again to the cinema. He has created a narrative work that stands alone outside the film: an epic musical journey taking the listener through intimate personal moments of sadness and loss, exciting insights into friendship and competition, to the grand playful adventure at the heart of the film.

Working with Nigel has been one of the great pleasures in making this film: a wonderful creative journey, with the music ultimately evoking with such powerful impact the joy at the heart of childhood.

Robert Connolly / Film Director

Armed with a screenplay that held the promise of warmth, joy and emotional depth, Robert Connolly approached me about Paper Planes about three years prior to production.

He was in the process of raising capital and enlisting his cast and crew for the journey. I was captivated by the enchantment of the story, and keen to be a part of the adventure. As if harking back to simpler times, the script was imbued with an innocence and beguiling charm so often missing from modern-day films.

Rob wanted a conventional orchestral score to provide the support needed to traverse the rich emotional territory of the picture, from the exuberance of competitive sport, to the harrowing and confronting aspects of bereavement.

It's always gratifying to engage with a director who sees music as a priority, and is willing to allocate appropriate resources to the task. I can't thank Rob enough for his support during the writing of the score for Paper Planes.

Nigel Westlake / Composer

Work Details

Year: 2018

Duration: 10 min.

Dedication note: for Janis

Commission note: Commissioned by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.. Commissioned by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the BBC Proms