Oliver Hermanus chronicles a decades-spanning romance, starring an electric Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor.

Lionel (Paul Mescal) is a talented singer from rural Kentucky raised on the songs his father would sing on the front porch. In 1917, he leaves his family farm to attend the Boston Music Conservatory. There he meets David (Josh O’Connor), a charming music composing student who is soon drafted into the end of the war. In 1920, the two spend a winter walking through the forests and islands of Maine, collecting folk songs to preserve them for future generations. Lionel drifts through Europe in his twenties and thirties, building a new life of profound success and happiness, and experiencing new loves. Yet he is constantly drawn back to memories of his brief time with David, trying to understand the impact of their relationship. Eventually, a reminder of their work together reveals why their connection rang loud.

“The History of Sound” had its world premiere in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or.