Alison Tavel was just ten weeks old when her father, inventor Don Tavel died, and now in her new documentary Resynator, she unearths the Resynator, the revolutionary synthesizer he invented in the 1970s.
What starts as a curious resurrection of her dad’s invention soon becomes an insatiable, globe-trotting quest to unearth an authentic portrait of a man she never met. Featured in the film are Grace Potter, Peter Gabriel, Fred Armisen, Gotye, Jon Anderson and more.
Resynator will make its world premiere as an in-competition Official Selection of the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Inventor Don Tavel died suddenly when his newborn daughter was just ten weeks old. Growing up surrounded by mythical stories of her “genius” father, Alison’s life is consequently absent from any meaningful connection to him. Not until she is in her mid-twenties and on tour with rock musician Grace Potter is the seed planted to discover what he invented. Resynator is a narrative documentary that begins when Alison rescues Don’s synthesizer prototype from her grandmother’s attic. What starts off as a curious resurrection project of her dad’s Resynator soon launches into an insatiable, globe-trotting quest to untangle the web of myths and unlock the deep secrets surrounding his life and invention.
Aided by estranged family, lost friends, fellow inventors and celebrated musicians (Grace Potter, Peter Gabriel, Fred Armisen, Gotye, Jon Anderson and more), Alison soon comes to discover Don’s brilliance herself. But in unpacking his life, she also discovers unsettling truths about her father that don’t align with her long-held perception of him, as the picture of a vulnerable man emerges to replace the superhero version she had imagined all her life. Not only can she finally relate to him on a human level, but their parallel Resynator journeys reveal an indomitable bond between them.
Alison Tavel in her statement, said “The film that I finished this year was not the film I set out to make ten years ago. I had no background in filmmaking but thought it would be fun to put together a short film about the resurrection of a unique synthesizer that my late father Don Tavel had invented.”
She continued, “He was not this picture-perfect, famous and accredited master of music; he was a small-town, hustling man striving for success in order to feel loved and accepted. He was broken, confused and insecure. He was likely a genius – that part seems true, but he still couldn’t figure out how to be loved. It led him to depression, abuse and a bad marriage – and it may have led him to suicide.”
“This film is deeply personal and it’s scary to put out into the world. But I think people should know Don — the real Don — and his Resynator. I’ve done everything I can to tell his honest story and in turn, learn a little more about myself.”