videoThomas De Pourquery 'The Rhythm Changed' by Ludovic GontrandIt's all going on down at the pub, in Ludovic Gontrand's captivating promo for celebrated French saxophonist and singer Thomas De Pourquery.Somewhere in northern France, people descend on a local bar on a foggy evening, and this convivial gathering in a welcoming hostelry proceeds to behave according to its surprising rules - indeed it's own sense of reality. It's basically your favourite ever lock-in, to the power of ten.With a cast of pub-dwellers representative of modern day France - including De Pourquery - Gontrand's video for The Rhythm Changed focusses upon the individuals that make up this disparate group, and finds an element of the raw personality of each person to highlight the uniqueness of each of us.It is like a combination of experimental theatre and a dance piece, given a dreamlike cinematic sensibility via the approach of Gontrand and DoP Carlos Feher. The result is a real achievement: a gripping and uplifting exploration of the human condition, and the way we interact when left alone in a space. “It was a very emotional moment when Ludovic and I first met," Thomas de Pourquery has explained. "I told him about my inspirations behind the song, the images I'd imagined to embody all those parts of ourselves that live within us."He had this simple and brilliant idea, which touched me enormously: to find strong, singular faces to embody this inner crowd, and to let them exist in a bar, a timeless place, where he would capture reality by letting the cameras roll and offering real moments of life to be filmed. I was happy to follow him in this venture, which I felt vibrated with the frequencies of my song. I was not disappointed.”"Each member of our cast brought their own vibrant narrative and persona, which we aimed to portray on screen with utmost authenticity," adds director Gontrand. "Our goal was to capture the essence of real-life experiences."
Rob Ulitski - 10 months ago