The Black Horse of Music Videos 2/2

A dance journey through hotel rooms and the histories of its inhabitants, which asks about the moment at which love starts deforming us – literally and figuratively. “Love You More” smartly plays with form, utilizing small but eye-catching special effects.

Piotr Gacek

BABYBABY
Directorial duo formed by David Strindberg and Josefin Malmen who are very keen on using SFXs in music videos.

A music video made out of bits and pieces of Alberto Isaac’s 1986 Oscar-nominated “The Olympics in Mexico”. Agnieszka Jarząb and Maciej Bączyk played around with stop motion processing of the acrobatics. Repetitive shots perfectly complement the trance music.

Sławomir Kruk

Instead of washed-out colors, dynamic contrast and slow motion, Perfume Genius takes us into the world of girly pastels and childish decor, reminding of the films of Jim Henson.

Patryk Chromik

Andrew Thomas Huang
Los Angeles-based American, whose art “fits the gap” between film and video art. He’s mostly recognized for his long-time collaboration with Björk.

The videos of The Blaze wake up a series of rarely defined feelings: from awe at the seeming proximity of Middle Eastern men to the embarrassing infatuation with what’s foreign and distant. “Territory” is a performance of testosterone, and we can’t look away.

Natalia Kaniak

The Blaze
Parisian duo, Jonathan and Guillaume Alrics, whose claim to fame is both the single and video for “Virile”, shown at last year’s music video competition.

The videos for Scandinavian electro stars taught us to love the post-Soviet look long before this trend was named, and to find beauty in even the least inspiring environments. Although forms of expression went through a big change during the last decade, Riton and Emenius still tell us an equally engaging story, with the discreet charm of the night shift.

Natalia Kaniak

Åsa Riton & Andreas Emenius
Scandinavian artistic duo, connected to the fashion world. After their successes working with The Knife, David Lynch and Jenna Wilson, they came together for Trentemøller..

The flawless atmosphere of a provincial Winter in the ‘80s and a courageously realized horror. The story of a boy whose hobby combines the stitching of a Marzanna and the ambitions of doctor Frankenstein.

Patryk Chromik

Zuzanna Plisz
Graduate of the Faculty of Radio and Television at the University of Silesia, stipendist of Universidade in Lisbon and feature workshops at the Gdynia Film School. Author of short films.

A brave combo of a narcotic orgy, piss-stained corridors, partygoers with disabilities, sexual perversions and an unhealthy childishness fetish. The video was filmed in its entirety in dark nooks with a VHS camera. Formally, it’s a full bar above the other nominees.

Patryk Chromik

Anna Zlokovic
Award-winning writer and director based in Los Angeles. Her films and music videos were screened at various festivals including SXSW. Her work joins the cerebral with the humanistic, the fantastical with the mundane. A fan of Jeff Buckley.

The portrait of a toxic family in a claustrophobic scenography straight from a sitcom. The cure for familial problems turns out to be an air-clearing opera of violence. Perfectly arranged cameos are combined with the utilization and deconstruction of the TV genre.

Natalia Kaniak

Jonah Hill
Award-winning comedian, actor, screenwriter and film producer. Known for directing “21 Jump Street”.

The only animated music video in this year’s competition is a loose story of a normal day in sunny California. Created with various animation techniques and photos cut out from old newspapers, this film is a perfect example of artistic recycling.

Sławomir Kruk

Harvey Benschoter
Philadelphia-based animator with several short films in his résumé. “Get Lost” is his first music video.

Alexandre Courtes succeeds at parodying our reality. In “Go Up”, he creatively combines different shots, giving them new, contrasting meaning, bordering on blasphemy, irony and humor. Featuring Jesus from Świebodzin.

Piotr Gacek

Alexandre Courtes
Author of the legendary video for The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”. Designer of Daft Punk’s helmets. Really.

Twenty minutes into the future, our protagonists feel lonely and lost. Against all odds, they try to discover what is real and what is artificial. “Unbound” tells us about the lack of boundaries, which can turn into an obstacle in itself.

Piotr Gacek

Julien Lassort
French director based in Paris. Author of music videos and commercials. He worked with Metronomy, Two Door Cinema Club and Ratatat.

Agbogbloshie is the contemporary incarnation of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is the home of the majority of used electric appliances and one of the biggest stockpiles of such trash in the world. It is also the workplace of many Ghanaian children. Due to air pollution, most of them die before their twentieth birthday.

Sławomir Kruk

Sasha Rainbow
Director, stylist and photographer. Her works were exhibited at Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2015 she was nominated for the London Music Video Award. Currently she’s making a film about the Parisian Romani community.

Homage to the dearly departed pets of the band – cats, a lizard and especially a dog. Garage concerts and teenage shenanigans are the background of this punk-style video, while its main character is portrayed by Finn Wolfhard of “Stranger Things”. “Sleep in the Heat” is the continuation of the story from “Guilt Trip”.

Patryk Chromik

Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux
Canadian film editor, best known from his fruitful and consistent work with the punk rock band PUP, for whom he made the award-winning animated video “Dark Days” and the interactive “Old Wounds”.

Politicians’ word fights are our everyday reality. Sam Pilling draws a ridiculous tale of an unusual summit, during which things go off the rails. Words become actions, but any self-examination comes way too late.

Sławomir Kruk

Sam Pilling
Respected British director of music videos and commercials. He worked with such artists as David Lynch, SBTRKT, J. Cole, Usher, Two Door Cinema Club and The Weeknd.