watch: ROMAIN-GAVRAS directs M.I.A, JUSTICE (Music Movies)

This morning I went searching for the latest M.I.A music video for her new single BORN FREE, because as any M.I.A fan would know, her videos for her songs are always magnificent and fitting. Little did I know that the man (ROMAIN-GAVRAS) behind the lense and the treatment of this video was a complete genius. I love watching video's with such a great plot that the music is simply a soundtrack or background music. You get lost in the story and the message which is how I felt when I watched the 'Born Free' video and the 'Stress' video he directed for Justice:

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

This music video is basically an analogy (not to be taken so literally because I'm sure Mr. Romain does not believe in death to all red heads) of how all backgrounds of people can be and are at times persecuted for being different, which is ultimately the message of the song. Like the movie District 9, we have seen many examples of intense discrimination in our history against race or religious groups and now today, homosexuals. We are all essentially "Born Free" and should not result to persecuting one another, whether it be by tormenting someone physically or emotionally because we cannot put them in a box or generalization. This video is in your face and powerful, something we are lacking in culture. *Steps off soap box and moves along to next video...*


Jus†ice, Stress from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Now this video reminded me so much of the movies MAN BITES DOG and THE CLOCKWORK ORANGE (my favorite movies) because of how it showed this ongoing cycle of senseless violence that we do to one another. The selfishness, and disregard for human life is a sick and psychological issue that we dismiss early and it begins with kids. How they turned the action on the camera was a really neat twist to the whole music video.


TO WATCH MORE OF ROMAIN-GAVRAS' WORK, CHECK OUT HIS VIMEO CHANNEL here!