Yumi Zouma 'Alena' by Allie Avital Tsypin
Cat Velez - 2nd Apr 2015
Whoever said men don't cry? Allie Avital Tsypin of Brooklyn-based creative duo BANGS has directed this brilliant music video for Yumi Zouma's dreamy, uplifting track, Alena. Beautifully shot under cool, blue-neon lights, it captures an intimate gathering of men opening up and emotionally supporting each other.
The video packs a powerful emotive intensity, as the men meet in a dark, hidden and secret place before they can allow themselves to be vulnerable. Equally as interesting as the video itself, is the director's comments on her desire to shoot the video, which you can read below.
ALLIE AVITAL TSYPIN:
In the same way that male directors sometimes get to play out their fantasies by making videos full of hot naked girls, I wanted to create a fantasy of my own. I like imagining that somewhere in some theoretical town, there is a group of men that gather and cry together...it's a film about men through the female gaze.
What was most amazing about this shoot was that it ended up being a documentary in a way. We went into it with this whole plan to stage these performances, but as soon as we started shooting I realized that it was happening for REAL. The actors actually WERE the characters they were playing: men with wives and jobs, and they all really needed this release. I think it was a cathartic experience for them. In between takes they would try and play it cool and joke around but then they all sent me these thank you emails telling me how amazing this experience was.
Cat Velez - 2nd Apr 2015
Credits
Featured here in the credits?
Production/Creative
- Director
- Allie Avital
- Producer
- Andrew Krasniak
- Production Company
- BANGS
Camera
- Director of Photography
- Owen Donovan
- Focus Puller
- Tine Dilucia
- Steadicam
- Mike Klein
Lighting/Grip
- Gaffer
- Mike Keane
Art
- Art Director
- Emma Rose Mead
Editorial
- Editor
- Matt Burke
- Editor
- Allie Avital
Grading
- Colourist
- Mike Keane
Commission
- Label
- Cascine
Cat Velez - 2nd Apr 2015