The Sounds of the Sounds of Science

Jean Painlevé x Yo La Tengo

The Sounds of Science is a live audiovisual performance that brings together the poetic underwater films of French filmmaker and biologist Jean Painlevé with an original instrumental score by indie rock band Yo La Tengo. Commissioned by the San Francisco Film Festival in 2001, the project features eight of Painlevé’s short films—including The Sea Horse and The Love Life of the Octopus—accompanied by a dreamy, atmospheric soundtrack. The result is an immersive journey where science meets sound, and marine life drifts through surreal soundscapes.