A film about experimental yodelling may not seem very enticing, but director Stefan Schwietert’s exquisite documentary is a wonderful surprise and has delighted audiences on the worldwide festival circuit. Out of a project to document the traditional music of the Alps, Schwietert has fashioned a stunningly beautiful film that both embraces tradition and turns it on its head.

As lovely to look at as it is to listen to, Echoes of Home combines breathtaking Alpine vistas with home movies and footage of some very unusual performances. Although ranging across divergent styles and territories, the film concentrates on three key interpreters of the form: Christian Zehnder, with his ingenious mixture of yodelling, scat and overtone singing; Erika Stucky, who combines elements of jazz with Alpine music; and Appenzell-yodelling virtuoso Noldi Alder. As the performers yip, whoop and yelp their way around the world, giving voice to every possible permutation of human expression, the porous boundaries between musical styles are unveiled.