Many of us could probably use an escape from America right now, and the first video from Dev Hynes’s stirring new collab project with Bryndon Cook is just that. The musical masterminds of Blood Orange and Starchild looked to Jamaica for the debut VeilHymn visual, enlisting director Malia James for a dreamy portrait of daily life — specifically, two days — in the capital of Kingston. Dev’s repeat collaborator Juri Onuki choreographed the cast of exclusively Kingston locals over 48 hours. As James told Rolling Stone, she was inspired by the work of legendary late Malian photographer Malick Sidibé.
“I’ve always been a massive fan of Malick Sidibé’s work and have wanted to pay tribute to him since his passing last year,” she explained. “Taking Dev and Bryndon’s ideas and merging my love of Sidibé, I wanted to explore the concept of creating a fictional, vintage time and place similar to the confident and carefree spirits that Sidibé has documented.”
Sidibé, who passed away last year at the age of 80, was known for his black-and-white portraits of youth in a newly independent Mali in the 60s. The “Hymn” video gives his exuberant legacy new life through hypnotizing motion, lush colors, and transcendental sound.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley