Gavin Filipiak has created a compelling video for the Pet Shop Boys' Twenty-something, which follows the story of a San Diego gang member after he is released from prison, who after his initial elation, and his best intentions, struggles to get his life back together.Upon returning home, he is met by his frustrated wife, his two children and a stack of threatening, unpaid bills and overdue notices. He puts on a suit, gets on the bus and looks for a job all over the city - captured by some great aerial photography by Jeffrey Lamont Brown - but is denied any opportunity to prove himself. The video results in a powerful critique of America's broken social mobility problem and its prison system's lack of resources for integration of ex-convicts back into society. And although the subject matter might appear incongruous for a band like a Pet Shop Boys, it works superbly well.
Cat Velez - 28th June 2016