Jake Duncan directs a thought-provoking and highly personal promo for Belfast-based singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside.    

The video for It's Not Going To Be Okay is a character study of a middle aged man - played by Duncan's father - living an isolated existence in the countryside, taking us through his daily routines, captured in cinematic scenes and lo-fi cutaways. And this intimate portrait through everyday moments also offers hints at a troubled past. 

"When (my Dad) was younger he trained as an actor, but through various forms of self-sabotage, most notably an addiction to hard drugs, opportunities were repeatedly disrupted," explains Duncan. "The film looks at some of the song’s broader themes through the intimacy of one person’s life: regret, resilience, isolation and the possibility of change.

"He spent some time in Bosnia at an addiction retreat and eight years in India, where he converted to Hinduism. He then returned home and converted an old horsebox that he’s been living in for the past thirteen years. He now works as a taxi driver, a livelihood that has become increasingly difficult to sustain amid the rising cost of living and declining hourly earnings.

"Rather than trying to match the song’s scale, I wanted to locate its themes within one life. I made the project largely alone over three separate trips, directing, shooting and editing. I cast an actor to play his daughter in one short scene, but much of what appears in the video comes directly from his everyday life. Some sequences are entirely documentary, while others are slightly dramatised.

"The process has been extremely cathartic for both of us. For most of my life we lived in separate countries, and I only really began building a relationship with him as an adult. I’m glad that we were able to make this together and that such an incredible piece of songwriting gave me the impetus to explore his life, and our relationship, through the film."