Thursday, 8 May 2014

AKMU- 얼음들(MELTED) / Hail film Photoghraphy!!!

I needed to share this. It is a Korean MV of Akdong Musician (AKMU) a duo of brother and sister who sings and composes their own music (genius kids). Brother is 17 yrs old and sister is just 14 yrs old.
I am sharing this not for the music but for the MV.
AMAZING VIDEO!!! The haunting melody of AKMU makes it more painful and beautiful! Absolutely lovely!
The MV has such a deep meaning. I have to give this one to the MV Director and Cinematographer (and even the story writer)!
AMAZING!!!
I know one of them loves manual Film Photography too just by watching the video because the main lead was holding a Film camera (an embellished Canon TL/ TLb Film camera IMHO) and buys a Fujifilm neopan 400 and efke 25 B&W film rolls!  
AMAZING Cinematography and storyline! One of the BEST MVs I've ever watched!
Just watch it for AKMU, MV Direction, Cinematography and also Film Photography!


I may have left some details or misunderstood some points but this is my interpretation of the MV:

In the beginning, the MV shows an old man overlooking vast "cold" buildings and a chameleon inside  glass case. He is sipping cold whiskey. A chameleon stands for "Change" which means the young Photographer changed over the years. He is trapped in a world of adult malice like the chameleon is trapped in the glass case and he in his building (life). He is sipping iced whiskey suggesting that he is cold and calculative now. His innocence is gone...
As the chameleon looks outside his glass cage, the old man looks outside his glass window, he is reminiscing his past...
A man who has just been laid off by his office (probably a Bank as suggested by the office boxes) is clearly upset but when he sees a young boy asking for a ride, he lets him in his car. The young boy is an enthusiast Photographer (he is holding an embellished Canon FTb film camera IMHO) who probably for the love of his Art/ dream left his home. He goes/ snoops around the driver's stuffs and takes pictures which suggests that he usually documents his everyday life and journey. The driver gets angry and let him off his car.
The Photographer boy walks all the way to a town and first thing he does is go to this convenience store. He is poor and hardly has cash to buy food but he prioritizes his Art and buys 2 film rolls (Fujifilm neopan 400 colour 35mm film and ekta 25 B&W 35mm film rolls) and a banana. This shows that the boy wants to pursue his dreams (Photography) no matter what even at the expense of his hunger. The shopkeeper clearly is guilty taking money from him since he knows the boy doesn't have enough money but business is business.
Next, the Boy goes to town square, eats his Banana and observes life around and take Pictures. A man dressed as a statue, A rag-picker fights with a man, two mothers fight over their children who supposedly got into a fight, a deliveryman who is delivering these balloons for some special occasion is lost and angry and later the man dressed as a statue looks down and alone without audience (these two scenes shows an interesting juxtaposition of how people buy happiness at the cost of others' sufferings).
The boy takes photos of this lady (Hooker) and she invites him in her car. The boy shows her his photo book and they chat for good long hours. She shows him some warmth. She later gets gets prepped up takes him to this bar where she hooks up with a man. The boy left his bag-pack in her car. While waiting for his lady friend, the boy dozes off in the bar. The hooker leaves with the man she was dancing with. The Bartender wakes the boy and demands money. Boy when he realizes that the Hooker left him and his bag is in her car, he runs after her only to be caught by the Bartender. The bartender demands him the money the lady and his friend owns him and since the boy doesn't have any money, he beats the boy up. In this, the boy drops and breaks his precious camera.
*Since The boy loves Photography and his camera. The breaking of his camera symbolizes breaking of his dreams.*
The Photographer Boy goes to the Police station probably to complain about his bag that he left in the Hooker's car or the beatings that he got or his camera that the bartender broke. In the Police Station, there are all sorts of criminals and a shouting prostitute. The (adult) Police are busy with these (more important) cases and hardly pays him any head. When persisted, the lady cop pays him no heed and asks him to wait further.
Feeling betrayed by all these adults, he walks alone with his broken camera/ dream (without his bag which had his supply and few changes I believe). His heart feels cold, sad and angry.
He comes upon a Trailer and sees a dog. He feels happy seeing a furry friend but the dog barks at him. He looses himself and barks back at the dog. The owner of the Trailer comes out to check and sees this beaten up, hungry looking boy. He gets him inside the Trailer and feeds him (instant Pasta?) and gives him warm drink indicating that he showed real warmthness to the boy when he needed the most and "melted" his cold heart. Also the kind man mends his camera which indicates that his broken dream is given a new hope.
In the end, the old man who was reminiscing his childhood keeps his "melted" drink next to his beloved camera indicating that his heart is not cold like other adults. Also that he lived up to his dreams and aspiration since the Camera is very much there.
(Maybe he became a successful Photographer)
P.S. Whoever made this has a great sense of story telling, a deep understanding of human nature, a talent of cinematography, Art and Direction. The actors were also aptly chosen. Also it seems the Director/ Cinematographer loves Film Photography like me because even without money, the boy purchased 2 film rolls!

My two cents

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