Look Back
‘Look Back’ is a song written and performed by Jessie Appiah. It is a love letter to home, traditions and country music. This music video lends itself to tradition, narrative and blackness through reflection of one’s identity.
The Story
When Yasmin, the director, approached me with this project, I was in awe of the visual themes that she intended to reference. Country music has and will always be rooted in blackness; however, seeing this take shape with a flourish of Britishness gave it a new meaning.
There was not only a reference to country music but also the African diaspora, through the Kente symbols sprayed on the Ankra cloth. There was an element of homeland roots that needed to be maintained, whilst straddling a storyline that the normal eye could follow.
Putting together the elements to create 3 dreamscapes in a very obvious film studio was easy enough. Spray painting gold leaves, layering kente symbols onto a long piece of ankra cloth, laying haystacks and fixing a fence in between. The aim was to make three scenes of narrative that could work separately; however, when together, they strengthen the music video’s storyline even more.
Look Back is part of the official selection for the Aesthetica Film Festival.
Credits
Production Company: Dark Reality
Executive Producers: Jordan Rowley & Liz Adeleye
Director: Yasmin Godo
EP / Producer: Andre Wooz
Line Producer: Scarlet Green
Director of Photography: Leon Pyszora
2nd Unit Camera / Archive (Ghana): Jeffrey Atsuson Jr.
1st Assistant Director: Michael Baugh
2nd Assistant Director: Yaz Evans
Focus Puller: Adam Jasinski
Loader: Michael Tebebu
Gaffer: Jordan Young
Production Designer: Tabitha Odutayo
Art Assistant: Mónica Calanche-Silva
Hair & Make-Up Artist: Lauraine Bailey
Styling Assistant: Mariam Adamson
Runner Driver: Theus Morgan Gynn
Runner: Amanda Conde Runner: Marlow Neil
Unit Stills & Video: Sage
Photographer: Ashley Sealy
Editor: Charlie Williams
Animal Handler: Performance Ponies UK
Grade Post Producer: Jeff Halsey @ OnSight
Colourist: Andy Lee @ OnSight
Special Thanks: Izzy Duck, Mark, Juanita, Kia, Kebi, OIZA, dbcxpatures, Cosmo Studios, ONSIGHT LTD, VERO Music, Song Credits “Look Back” Produced by Jesse Appiah / Hugh Fothergill Mixed by Alan Dobson / Jesse Appiah Mastered by Alan Dobson Louis Nelson - Guitar Jesse Appiah - Guitar Joseph Nelso - Keys/Synths Jesse Appiah - Drums Barnabus - Drums Bvs - Sylvia Mwenze Carl Addo - Bass Richard O’conner - Bass Ciara Ismail (Bolt strings) Emma Fry Natalia Senior Brown Alexandra Marshall Alan Dobson George Chung Konk studios Pony Studios SAL studios (Tokyo) Open (Tokyo) Rythm Rollers Jordan Hakkak
Final Images
