A Sound of My Own

What do you get when you follow in the footsteps of a famous father? Not always understanding and approval, says Marja, who continued with her father Christian Burchard’s krautrock band Embryo after his death in 2018. She was told that it wouldn’t make her happy if she did what he did, that she needed to part with his legacy to free herself. One of the questions underlying this portrait, shot in crisp black and white, is how Marja Burchard can achieve musical autonomy. Is it possible to remain within the tradition of Embryo and at the same time develop an independent identity?

A montage of archive footage featuring Christian Burchard and performances by the current Embryo members shows father and daughter as virtuoso multi-instrumentalists, with a passion for experimental and non-Western music. This experimentation resonates in the form of the film, in which on- and off-stage sequences alternate with domestic scenes (such as the symbolic clearing of Christian's office), Marja’s probing reflections, and visual interpretations of the music.