Those who follow Selah Marley on Instagram will have found it almost impossible to miss the 37 mysterious photos she uploaded over the past 24 hours. Some are portraits of her sitting at a piano, others depict late night shoots with silhouetted trees, while a handful see Selah in a roll top bath full of murky water in the middle of what appears to be a field. “Blair Witch Project?” commented one fan. “Redefining the movie The Ring?” asked another. “I guess something really dope is coming,” correctly predicted a third.
Talented, stunning and about to release her debut EP, 20-year-old Selah — daughter of Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley — has made the short film we’re pleased to be premiering below. Directed by Godfred Sedano, C’EST LA (the pronunciation of her name, duh) is a beautiful exploration of self-image and identity; shedding a light on Selah’s true self, character and artistry, while stripping away everything that’s projected onto her.
We join the musician and model as she sets off fireworks with friends, writes music, and examines her body in the mirror. Raw and honest, the visual ends with Selah telling her director friend about a new song. “It’s called 500 Days, because the day before I wrote it, I was coming back from Paris and on the plane I watched 500 Days of Summer,” she admits, before launching into a minimal rendition at the piano.
“It’s here,” Selah told i-D over email. “I’d rather not dilute this piece with words.”
