Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated epic The Odyssey will feature one of Albania’s most treasured cultural traditions in its soundtrack.

Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson revealed that he traveled to southern Albania to record Albanian iso-polyphony, an ancient style of multipart singing that will be incorporated into the film’s score. According to Göransson, it was a musical tradition he had never heard used in a film before.

While researching authentic sounds for the world of The Odyssey, Göransson also recorded traditional flutes played by Albanian shepherds for generations. He explained that the recording sessions had to finish early each evening because the shepherds woke up before dawn to tend to their flocks.

Rather than relying on a traditional Hollywood orchestra, Nolan and Göransson sought instruments and voices that could reflect the atmosphere of the Bronze Age. The Albanian recordings became part of that vision, blending natural sounds and ancient musical traditions into the film’s soundtrack.

Albanian iso-polyphony, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is one of the country’s most distinctive artistic traditions. Its inclusion in one of the year’s biggest Hollywood productions brings Albanian culture to a global audience.