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SebastiAn ft Bakar 'Sober' by Nathalie Canguilhem

David Knight - 12th Nov 2019

French actor Felix Maritaud plays a man attempting to maintain his self-control in a succession of extraordinary situations, in Nathalie Canguilhem's extravagantly imaginative video for French producer SebastiAn.

From a village composed entirely of tiny castles, or churches, populated by hooded monks, and an endless Seuss-like keyboard - played by SebastiAn himself - to a successsion of ever-smaller doorways and a platoon of girl dancers on crucifixes on a beach, Maritaud's epic journey is a series of challenges. Whatever the distraction, temptation, or threat to his physical wellbeing, he is trying to keep an even keel - reflecting the lyrics sung by Bakar on SebastiAn's track Sober. 

Ultimately Maritaud is surrounded by his challenges and choices - encircled by the monks in a colliseum-like exterior; confronted by numerous doorways within a building. Canguilhem turns these interlinking scenes into a cohesive whole - a surreal dreamscape that feels authentic. In this world, even the more extraordinary settings look defiantly real.

In fact, much of it is real. The village of castles is situated in Turkey, where much of the exteriors for the video were shot. The rest was filmed in Kiev.

Like her video for Travis Scott's Can't Say earlier this year, this is a collaboration with Saint Laurent, and the subdued tones of blue and grey that predominate throughout the piece are the unmistakeable colours of YSL's classic Rive Gauche perfume brand. In the video, no more obvious branding is required.  

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David Knight - 12th Nov 2019

Tags

  • Branded music video
  • Narrative
  • Pick of the Day
  • Special projects
  • VFX
  • Dance
  • Electronica

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Credits

Production/Creative

Director
Nathalie Canguilhem
Producer
Théo Gall
Producer
Jules de Chateleux
Production Company
Production Company
Saint Lauren
Service Company
Family Productions
Service Company
Periferi Film

Camera

Director of Photography
Paul Özgür

Editorial

Editor
Marc Gurung

Misc

Line Producer
Léa Villain Barachet

David Knight - 12th Nov 2019

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