Hanan Townshend is a New Zealand-born film composer best known for his work in Terrence Malick films such as The Tree of Life, Knight of Cups, and To the Wonder.
Career Townshend was a music licensee on Terrence Malick's Palme d'Or winning film The Tree of Life, where he received his first significant recognition. He has composed for numerous feature films, including Malick's 2012 film To the Wonder and more recently, Knight of Cups, starring Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett and Imogen Poots. He has scored over a dozen large commercials for brands such as Apple, American Express, Nike and Google. He has also collaborated with producers such as Mike McCarthy and Daniel Lanois.
Themes and style Townshend's music reflects the broad background of inspiration from which he draws – the poetic soundscapes of his home country, the eager patterns of popular music, and the refinement of classical training and studies in art composition. Because of this, he has a penchant for approaching film music from a less conventional perspective and producing clever, memorable pieces that support just as much the picturesque as they do the auditory experience.
Filmography
Year Title Director Notes2009 Lya Nicolas Siegenthaler Short film Western Brothers’ Adventure Story Drew Xanthopoulos Documentary Short film Georgie Drew Xanthopoulos Short film2010 The Holy Roller Patrick Gillies By Jude Angela Chen Short film The Finale Drew Xanthopoulos Short film Titans Nicolas Seigenthaler Short film2011 Little Lions Tony Costello Short film The Tree of Life Terrence Malick As music licensee When We Fell Drew Xanthopoulos Short film White Gloves Courtney Stephens Documentary Short film2012 To the Wonder Terrence Malick Maybe Pedro Resende Short film American Tintype Matt Morris Short film2013 Dewars “Live True” Campaign Nacho Gayán TV Commercial The Curiosity Collective Ditore Mayo Entertainment Web Video Loves Her Gun Geoff Marslett Sunny Square Hammad Rivzi Short film Vultures of Tibet Russell O. Bush Documentary short film2014 The Better Angels A. J. Edwards Believe Me Will Bakke Apple “Your Verse” Campaign TBWA\Media Arts Lab TV Commercial2015 Knight of Cups Terrence Malick American Express ‘Mindy Kaling’s Journery’ Ogilvy & Mather TV commercial Echoes of War Kane Senes Google ‘Expeditions Google Education Web Video Nike ‘Re:RUN’ Nike Short film Avon ‘Beauty Lovers Wanted’ Avon Web video2016 Heaven Sent Michael Landon Jr. The Vessel Julio Quintana Voyage of Time Terrence Malick Documentary Hybrid Vigor Brandon Fowler2017 Song to Song Terrence Malick Additional Music Composer Strawberry Land Wiktor Ericsson Disgraced Pat Kondelis Documentary 2020 The Book of Vision Carlo S. Hintermann 2020 Outcry (mini-series) Pat Kondelis American television documentary series 2021 Blue Miracle Julio Quintana 2025 Deep Quiet Room Ko-shang Shen
References