Le Galaxie 'Pleasure' by Sam E. H. Hooper

Sam E. H. Hooper's directorial debut for Le Galaxie is a very cool piece of minimalist sci-fi.

Occupying an ominous black room, two protagonists wired into various machinery unplug themselves in order to connect with one another, and as they do the almost monochromatic space in which they occupy becomes considerably more colourful.

With a litany of great lighting effects, production design and nods to classic science fiction (and classic music video) the end result is a rich visual tapestry.

SAM E. H. HOOPER:

"My concept was that modern technologies, and the rise of social media in modern life, can damage our relationships and ironically make us more isolated and lonely. The two characters break out of this technologically induced isolation and have a meaningful connection with one another.

"The idea of the video works as a simple yet striking visual metaphor for the stages of attraction (the dance), sex (the paint) and love (the confetti & kiss). Two colourless and plain individuals, robot like with wires, disconnect themselves from the rest of the world and ‘connect’ with each other, bringing colour, joy and sexuality into their lives. I tried to convey the idea that the two individuals were experiencing these interactions for the first time without any pre-existing notions of patriarchal gender roles or race. I thought that this would make the attraction and love between them more pure and unsullied by cultural and societal notions.

"I have always been heavily influenced by the work of Chris Cunningham and sci-fi. Bjork’s ‘All Is Full Of Love was a big influence for the piece; I specifically tried to reference the opening wide shot at the beginning of the video as the lights turn on. I also took inspiration from other sci-fi films, such as Metropolis and Blade Runner. We managed to replicate the retina glow from the latter – all special effects were achieved in camera."