Prism Prize Videos: Bahamas - No Depression

By FYI Staff

The Prism Prize recently announced the Top 20 Canadian music videos competing for the annual honour, to be handed out May 13 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.

Leading up to the Prize, we are profiling some of the clips in contention. More information on the Prize here

Bahamas - "No Depression"

"No Depression" by Bahamas (the stage name of Afie Jurvanen) and director Ali J Eisner is a laid back, easy to listen to acoustic number with a twist; while the video follows a day in the life of the lead singer, Afie Jurvanen himself barely appears. Instead, he is represented by a puppet bearing his likeness.

The video takes place on the shore of a lake in Northern Ontario, and we follow along as his puppet persona interacts with his real-life surroundings seamlessly. From staring out into the lake from his place on the dock to chopping wood in the forest and bird watching, viewers are taken along for the ride as the puppet goes through the motions of living life on the lake. Given the title and the subject matter of the song, it’s not hard to imagine Jurvanen’s puppet as a metaphor for Afie himself feeling as though he’s merely a placeholder in his own life rather than a real person whenever his depression strikes.

Despite the theme and the lyrics, the video ends on an upbeat note as the puppet slowly begins to rediscover the little joys in life (in no small part thanks to the puppet squirrel living in the forest next to his cottage). In the final scene, we finally get to see Jurvanen in the flesh as he and the puppet sit side by side, wearing matching tracksuits as they roast hot dogs together over an open fire.

Director: Ali J Eisner
Producer: Ali J Eisner
DOP: Peter Schnobb
Editor/Colorist: Peter Schnobb