Oklou can add the title film scorer to her resume, and ROB (Robin Coudert) can extend his list of credits. On May 13, Vietnamese director Phuong Mai Nguyen’s film In Waves made history at La Semaine de la Critique of Festival de Cannes.
According to Crack Magazine, In Waves is the first animated film ever to open Cannes Critics’ Week. But attendees noticed another prominent first as the end credit began to roll. Both Oklou and ROB received credit for music contributions to the film.
During an interview with Cineuropa, Nguyen opened up about tapping Oklou to help score In Waves.
“From the very beginning of the project in 2021, they started experimenting with ideas for an initial teaser,” said Nguyen. “Oklou’s voice — so ethereal, airy and soft — evokes the song of sirens and reconnects us both to ancestral surfing and to human existence within nature.”
She continued, “There was something deeply moving about combining that voice with electronic sounds, because this is a contemporary story interwoven with an orchestral dimension. It draws us back into something universal.”
While this marks Oklou’s debut score, ROB has a rather lengthy list of credits. Most recently, ROB worked on Oz Perkins’ Gretel & Hansel (2020), Shana Feste’s Run Sweetheart Run (2020),
Alexandre Aja’s Oxygène (2021) & Never Let Go (2024) soundtracks.
Although a global release date has not yet been set for In Waves, the wait might not be long. According to Variety, Anonymous Content, CAA Media Finance, and Charades negotiated a deal with Netflix for the film’s global rights.
Phuong Mai Nguyen’s In Waves is an adaptation of illustrator AJ Dungo’s 2019 graphic novel. In Waves‘ voice cast includes Stephanie Hsu and Will Sharpe. Watch the official trailer for Phuong Mai Nguyen’s In Waves below.