Hans Zimmer is one of the most accomplished musical talents in cinema history, but beyond his recognizable and moving scores is a series of motivations, and what can only be described as a gentle, joyful, and creative generosity that the world finally sees on full display in Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert. Many of us were fortunate enough to attend a screening and Q&A with Zimmer hosted by Collider and ScreenRant in Los Angeles where Zimmer and multiple members of his band watched and discussed the film alongside us. A once in a lifetime opportunity for the audience turned into deeper layers of insight into the man and the music.
A Legend with Impostor Syndrome
Zimmer’s humility is fascinating. He doesn’t look at his career and see the lasting greatness and impact of it, rather he tries to focus entirely on the quality of the work every day, or each project. He is also frequently visited by impostor syndrome, a fact he shared with interviewer Steven Weintraub to the entire audience’s shock. Zimmer marvels at the level of talent he is fortunate enough to work with, whether it is actors like Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, or directors like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve.
What sets Zimmer apart, though, is his focus on who is creating the work for. He mentions in the film, and again discussed it live at the event, the concept of an audience avatar he calls Doris. This is an individual he imagines as a proxy for anyone working every day, and then taking their hard-earned money and well-earned time off to choose a few hours at the movies. To Zimmer, he must deliver quality for this person. He cannot allow Doris to be let down by the experience.
He added that he doesn’t make the music for himself, for the collaborators, or certainly “for movie studios” but for Doris, or the Dorises of the world. Holding himself to this higher standard seems to push him to the brink. In some anecdotes he even mentioned being pushed to the point of near-death experiences. It was only when, he believes, Christopher Nolan saw he might lose his composer for good, that Nolan stepped in once and called it a night.
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In some cases, this kind of dedication to working long hours is a toxic side effect of people feeling overworked or exploited, but the spirit of Zimmer’s work is fueled by joy and generosity. He takes every moment to highlight each virtuoso performer he works with. He views the process as one of ‘play’ and collaboration. He talks about ‘having fun’ on these projects despite the work being challenging and taxing. There is something contagious in his energy and belief system, and the results are, of course, undeniable.
Sources of Inspiration
The film shows that in many cases the greatest themes and musical moments came from the deeper parts of Zimmer’s psychology, human experience, and soul. He is forced time and again to confront who he is, or was. What he lost or what he was given by his parents. The relationship between him and his father’s death plays largely into his work on The Lion King. The stories of his mother’s time during World War 2 plays heavily into his understanding of Dunkirk.
The ability to access our darker moments, or our pain, is a huge part of what drives great art. Zimmer explained in the event that he would not shy away from those challenges and moments. Audiences respond time and again to the power of his scores and themes, and it is his emotional honesty that takes them there.
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