2014 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

This Music Video was created to promote Mashrou’ Leila’s new album “Raasuk” (they made you dance) In a time of turmoil in the Middle East, the voice of the youth is overshadowed by the diversions of mainstream media. The Arabic music Industry is not any better. Instead of acting as an expression for the youth, it is also a diversion from their true hopes and dreams. Mashrou’ Leila is an independent music group that has built a name as a true voice of the youth. We selected a political track titled Lil Watan (For the Country) that discusses how mainstream media distracts us from creating real change in our country, and we created a Music Video that is in itself a diversion from the lyrics, focusing on a sensual dancer, the typical tool of the Arab Music Industry. The idea of the video is to divert the attention of the viewer from the political lyrics of the song using the sensual icon of Arab Music Industry: the belly dancer. Belly dancing was most popular in the 90’s on Television, the pillar of entertainment for families at their homes before regime changes made the Middle East more conservative. We borrowed the stylistic elements of the cheap Television productions of Belly Dancer shows in the 90’s. The colors are saturated to pay tribute to the video quality of those times, and the set and the lighting is reminiscent of the television sets of those days. The fixed camera that was used at the time was substituted with a free flowing contemporary camera that danced around the performer to create an unusual visual language for the video that is both modern and reminiscent.