Ora 'Farewell' by Thibault Debaveye

Norwegian singer/songwriter Ora reveals herself to the world with the music video for Farewell from her debut EP Womb. The word Ora translates to mean ‘time’ in Italian. “It’s something floating and eternal,” she explains, “a form of connection not related to identity - which reflects a lot in the visuals.” 

Director and creative collaborator Thibault Debaveye was able to translate this ephemeral quality into the video, which sets a memorable vision to accompany Ora’s lilting vocals. The video opens with a gritty, dark, yet beautiful close-up shots of dark soil adhering to Ora’s skin.

An eye peers out from the grime, providing a striking bit of color and detail. The soot slowly lifts off of her body in an ethereal dance, to be replaced by a milky whiteness that is no less compelling. The final frame reveals Ora completely painted in white, signifying her finally coming out of the womb.

THIBAULT DEBAVEYE:

"The first time you meet Ora, it’s like a slap of fresh air to the face. She has this energy, a very unique blend of free spirit and beauty that just makes you fall in love. When she sent me her recordings, I was immediately hooked. I told her, ‘I’m not sure how yet, but I will make this recording happen.’

"It took a few coffee and lunch meetings to convince each other we could do this. I had to gain Ora’s trust, show her I was not a player. I talked to her about my vision, putting a lot of passion into it, and she could see it. She told me, ‘This is amazing. It’s the first time somebody can visualize what is in my head.’ It’s the perfect combo, when a filmmaker meets a talented musician. Words become images."