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Bernardo 'What, If Not The Family? (Director's Cut)' by Harry Tomlin

Rob Ulitski - 22nd Apr 2025

Sonia Bernardo plays an unreliable self-help 'guru' in Harry Tomlin's absorbing musical drama for the  British/Portuguese singer-songwriter's song What, If Not The Family?

The video is set in a community centre self-help group, where Bernardo talks (and in fact sings) to the assembled, reading from a printed leaflet. She paces around the room, bewitching the group as they listen intently. The camera lingers on their faces - and then members of the group start dancing, demonstrating the psychic hold that Bernardo now has over them.  

With a gently surreal, slightly unsettling sensibility - the use of slightly-off eyelines and unusual composition leans into this mood - Harry Tomlin has created an enigmatic, palpable atmosphere to frame Bernardo's performance of the song.  

"Sonia and I discussed this piece being an exploration of ideology and a narrator that we can't fully trust," he explains.

"She also wanted to incorporate the Portuguese dance 'bachata' which really excited me, giving us a chance to explore this contrast between the serious, stiff reality and the fluid, surreal dance realm.

"[This allowed] us a window into these people's soul through the slow embrace of dance," Tomlin continues. "I wanted to use Sonia's audience as a mouthpiece for the lyrics, both literally and through their body language."

Rob Ulitski - 22nd Apr 2025

Tags

  • Director's notes
  • Director's cut
  • Alternative
  • Singer-songwriter
  • Performance
  • Enchanting
  • Teachings
  • Ideology
  • Cult
  • Self Help

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Credits

Featured here in the credits?

Production/Creative

Director
Producer
Gav Mukerji
Production Company
Matte Black London
Production Assistant
James Farrell

Camera

Director of Photography
Caolan Caddell
Focus Puller
Lucas Murray-reynolds

Lighting/Grip

Gaffer
Jordan White

Art

Production designer
Em Leggett

Editorial

Editor
Jack Moore
Editing company
Work Editorial
Edit Producer
Lola Cookman

Grading

Colourist
Katie Linard
Colour grade company
Harbor Picture Company

Rob Ulitski - 22nd Apr 2025

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