We are really proud to present the video for our newest single ‘Dormant’. It’s a song about seeking a sense of belonging and unity in difficult times, and a hugely talented group of filmmakers, actors, dancers and crew have put a lot of time and passion into a beautiful accompanying short film. Here’re some words about the video's concept, based on an experience I (ロブ) had several years ago. It was an evening in early summer and I was driving to a friend’s house. While driving across a bridge which spanned a busy dual carriageway, I saw a man stop in his tracks on the pavement and, with both caution and conviction, climb over the high metal barrier so that he was poised on the edge of the bridge, holding the fence and facing the drop. It took me a few seconds to process what I’d seen and, given that the cars in front and behind me were continuing on their way, I wondered whether I’d imagined it. But I remembered a documentary I’d seen which explores why so few people try and help those who attempt suicide, and this spurred me to try and to help resolve the situation. (Thanks, Eric Steel.) I quickly turned into a residential street and pulled my car up onto a curb. Getting out and walking back towards the bridge, I saw that traffic was now jammed on both sides and there were four people at the scene, physically holding this man back by his shoulders from where they stood on the pavement. A woman was on the phone to the police and she motioned for me to go and join the other four in restraining the person. I joined them at the side and fixed both hands awkwardly, and as forcefully as I could, on one of his shoulders. The next five minutes were, I suppose, some of the tensest I’ve ever experienced but I remember only fragments- the dried blood on his arms, his shoulders moving in an effort to shrug us off, the questions we gently asked, the horns of a handful of impatiently waiting drivers and the sight of the rush hour traffic continuing unyieldingly below us. When he slowly, wordlessly climbed back over the fence onto our side, there was little time to reflect or reconcile. Two officers jumped on the guy and pinned him to the ground before lifting him and moving him to one of the open police cars, which soon pulled away. The Domino’s driver who’d helped restrain him sprinted back to his car to make up for lost time on his delivery. The lady who’d managed to get the guy talking strode back to her car and sped away. The other two had already disappeared and the remaining policeman was busy directing traffic around his car. As quickly as all these people had come together, they’d had to rush back to their lives again. I stood on the bridge for a minute or two, wondering how everyone else had so easily resumed their days, and then walked back to my car, accepting that no one was going to give any answers, any resolution, anything. It took me a long time to stop thinking about it, but I’m just thankful that things turned out alright on that day. When I discussed the initial idea to do a video for ‘Dormant’ with producer Jamie Mills, I spoke about this experience. The dark, chromatic progressions and dense percussion of Simon’s song suggested a tone of desperation, and the words- about the clash between the mundane and the significant, and between unity and isolation- had a resonance with the way the scene unfolded and, perhaps, some of the thoughts the man may have been having. Jamie came up with a script which became the basis for the film. I was moved and humbled to see the basic concept develop into a powerful short film, realised imaginatively and intensely by director Heini Suzanne and Jamie. The lead actor Ben Everett Riley’s emotive portrayal of a young man in crisis evoked the demeanour and expressions of the person I encountered, and the dancers did an amazing performance under the dramatic choreography of Jeremy Au. We cannot thank the whole team enough: for not only creating a beautiful and resonant accompaniment for our song, but also for exploring a difficult subject in a sensitive and reflective way.
Director: Heini Susanne Director of Photography: Miguel Carmenes Gaffer: Melique Oglivie Assistant Director: Caroline Hajny Producer: Jamie Mills Choreographer: Jeremy Au Actor: Ben Everett Riley Dancers: Helene Hoier, Emma Clandon, Natasha Sturgis, Alexandru Stoica, Alessandra Miotti
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