Directed by Alison Tavel (USA, 2024) this is a documentary in which the revolutionary synthesiser invented by her late father, Don Tavel, is brought back to life, allowing a connection between the daughter and the dad she never knew.
Starting from a family legend of her father being some kind of musical superhero inventor and ending with an appreciation of his complexities and frailties as a person, Resynator is a powerful statement on how we can connect back to those who have gone even if we cannot remember them.
The trailer for this film focuses on how famous musicians interact with the synth, but that’s not the whole story. Resynator is fascinating from that perspective, but more so about Alison reconnecting with Don.
There are moments in Tavel’s film that will touch your heart, although it might be argued that a couple of scenes are perhaps too raw and private to be on camera. Part of me ached for the daughter who “never thought of” her dad as she grew up.
We all know Moog as the father of the modern synthesiser, but Tavel seems to have developed something that has modern potential. “Put it into software”, advises Peter Gabriel, looking to the future.
As this film takes Alison Tavel travelling around with her dad’s invention and connecting with his friends and family along the way, Resynator becomes Don’s epitaph as well as setting the record straight.
I had not heard of Don Tavel, so this was educational for me. His daughter is so like him, and seeing her react to tales and documents that add a bit more to a hazy picture of his character makes the film work.
Will this film have a wide appeal? I hope so. It is shot with a child’s curiosity and an adult’s love, and so is more than a traditional music documentary.
Resynator showed as a documentary feature in the Vashon Island Film Festival this summer.
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Image credit: Resynator, LLC.