Prism Prize Videos: Carolyn Fe - Jerusalem’s Thorns

By External Source

On February 21, the Prism Prize will announce 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 noteworthy clips likely to be in contention. More information on the Prize here

Carolyn Fe - "Jerusalem’s Thorns"

Montreal-based artist Carolyn Fe and director Simon Gionet’s video for "Jerusalem’s Thorns" is equal parts haunting and inspirational. Set in a small cabin surrounded by sprawling fields and dense woods, the first few beats of the video are silent aside from the ambient noise of the forest and the wind. The video is a character study of three women living together in the cabin: in addition to Carolyn, we meet an older woman, and a younger girl (naturally encouraging the viewer to draw parallels between them and the archetype of the girl, the mother, and the crone).

The momentum builds throughout the video as the three women gradually shift from passivity and stillness (sitting in a chair and staring out the window) towards activity and forward motion (assembling to burn the wooden chairs they’ve gathered in a large pyre in the field outside). The lyrics and title of the song pay blatant homage to the Biblical imagery of Jesus’ Crown of Thorns, and that religious influence is just as palpable in the music video. While the first half of the video is heavily influenced by the themes of darkness, dust, and decay, the second half focuses on clarity, renewal, and purification. The video uses fire as a means of burning away the things that hold us back while simultaneously banishing the darkness.

Director: Simon Gionet
Producer: Littoral Films  Facebook
DOP & Colorist: François Herquel
Editor: Aziz Zoromba