Joff’s Notes:
Turning Back is Isabel Taye’s personal exploration of identity. She delves into her relationship with her Malaysian, Chinese and English ancestry.
The music contains elements of traditional music from all three of these cultures. I focused on making it both simple and reflective. The strong resonating tones of the Gamelan bells were a useful tool in portraying the resonance of the past. Also, Isabel gave me a recording of her singing one of her most memorable childhood songs to incorporate into the soundtrack.
It was exciting and challenging to work on such a personal and honest film.