Songs For a Lost Pod

Songs For a Lost Pod is a filmed version of a live multi-disciplinary show performed in Vancouver, Canada, that combines scientific research, orca vocalizations turned into beats, and the impacts of intergenerational trauma on families. Told from the perspective of various whale species, as well as their human counterparts, Songs For a Lost Pod uses music, storytelling, and shadow puppetry to juxtapose cetacean histories with one Jewish family’s experience of surviving the Holocaust.

The show sold out its three-night run at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts with a 5-piece band, 6-piece choir, narrator, and two-person shadow puppetry team. The video uses visual overlay and superb audio mixing to capture the immersive live show, guiding viewers into a space of contemplation and connection. The live show was filmed on May 28-29, 2022, and co-presented by Music on Main and The SFU School for Contemporary Arts.

  • Mike Southworth
    Director
  • Leah Ruth Abramson
    Writer
  • Leah Abramson
    Producer
  • Joanna Dundas
    Producer
  • Megan Stewart
    Producer
  • Barbara Adler
    Key Cast
    "Narrator"
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Music Video, Other
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 2 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 22, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Pro Res
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • TBA
Director Biography - Mike Southworth

Mike Southworth is the force behind Collide Entertainment.
Collide Entertainment is a world class, award winning film and audio production company based in Vancouver, Canada.
Over the past 20 years, Collide has had a rich history of collaborating with a variety of musicians, and performing arts organizations including The Fugitives, Dawn Pemberton, Mother Mother, The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, The Matinee, Hilary Grist, Bill Henderson, Jim Byrnes, Kidd Pivot, DanceHouse, Vancouver Opera, Music on Main, Early Music Vancouver, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, the University of British Columbia, CBC, the Juno Awards and many more.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This is a filmed version of a live show by composer and songwriter Leah Abramson. Leah Abramson's work explores vocal harmonies, soundscapes, and the intersection of humanity and the environment.

After years spent touring internationally with indie rock and folk bands, as well as her band, The Abramson Singers, she released the album and comic book, Songs For a Lost Pod, under her own name in 2017.

Leah now adds playwright, producer, and music director to her credits, as she turns the music from Songs For a Lost Pod into a large-scale interdisciplinary production, with a script (written by Leah Abramson, narrated by Barbara Adler), stage direction (Megan Stewart) and visuals (Mind of a Snail) to go along with the live band and choir.

The video version of Songs For a Lost Pod was directed by Mike Southworth of Collide Entertainment (Vancouver).