Joshua Homme’s Desert Sessions collective is proud to unveil the first fruits of its expansion into visual collaboration: Homme’s recent meetings with students at the New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus have resulted in unique works by two filmmakers, each of whom was given a production budget to translate the music and lyrics of the Desert Sessions into their own vision.
Italian filmmaker Gabriele Fabbro took on the acoustic ballad “If You Run,” creating a haunting exploration of violence told through the eyes of a curious young woman, specifically inspired by deadly attacks on European journalists.
Gabriele Fabbro commented on the video “I used to read a lot of news about murders, especially on European newspapers. I remember one in particular that happened in a cornfield. That article came to mind while hearing ‘If You Run.’” The filmmaker said in a statement, “With this music video I want to touch themes such as ‘femicide’, ‘chase for justice’, ‘innocent curiosity vs violence’. But on top, I want to play with an existential fear. The fear of being powerless. Every tool in the video, from the shakiness of the handheld shots to the distorted sound of the radio, serves to exaggerate this fear.”
Check it out, here
Filmmaker Jonathan Samukange employed a wholly different direction, reimagining Vols. 11 &12’s groove-heavy opener “Move Together” as the soundtrack to a psychedelic take on the story of Adam and Eve.
In his statement on the video, Samukange says, “I wanted to create a seamless balance between computer graphics and reality. I want my audience to escape into a time capsule, following the tragic love story of Adam and Eve.” Filmed in the director’s home country of Zimbabwe, the video enlisted residents of an entire village and used the region’s stunning natural landscape to create the hallucinatory trip through time. “This idea is completely nuts, but it is also grounded in reality with themes of love, togetherness, collaboration, betrayal, and even brainwashing.”
Check it out, here
Desert Sessions Vol 11 & 12 available to buy here
Check out previous version of ‘If You Run’ directed by Rio Hackford and ‘Easier Said Then Done’ directed by Chapman Baehler’s.
Find out more about Joshua Homme’s Desert Sessions via the Website or Facebook
