SOUNDTRACK

Babel , the last film by Alejandro González Iñárritu that completes his trilogy which began with Amores Perros and 21 Grams, weaves together three compelling stories united by something stronger than fate.

The soundtrack Iñárritu assembled for Babel is as magical as the movie itself. "My films are symphonies," the director explains. "I listen to and accumulate music that will be an inspiration during the writing of the script, pre-production, filming and editing. I assimilate the music and create scenes that have a pulse and internal rhythm." Iñárritu makes mix CDs for the cast and crew so they can "synchronize" themselves to the work. The music on these CDs isn't only the soundtrack to the film, but the soundtrack of the whole creative process, from inception to final cut. "The first thing that I did in film was a score to a short film 23 years ago," the director says, "and since Amores Perros, which was our first feature together, having had the opportunity to work with Gustavo Santaolalla has been a blessing and a privilege, and the best part in the process of making this film. He's a genius."

Gustavo Santaolalla, who wrote the score for Babel, won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Score for Brokeback Mountain, which sold 165,000 copies in the U.S. alone. He also composed the score for Iñárritu's Amores Perros and 21 Grams , as well as Niki Caro's North Country . To give his music for Babel an authentic Middle Eastern feel, Santaolalla taught himself to play the oud, an Arab lute with a distinct, percussive sound. His work for the soundtrack album includes solo oud meditations, folkloric recordings of the Gnawa brotherhoods of Morocco and orchestrated pieces that combine electronic percussion with the sounds of classical Arab music.

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