Young South African director Kyle Lewis develops a familiar kids-with-superpowers storyline, but gives it a whole new dimension in the video for Haezer’s Troublemaker, featuring Tumi.
We’ve seen the penetrating stares of kids getting all telekinetic in last year’s trilogy of M83 videos by Fleur and Manu. Kyle transposes this scenario to a South African township – so slick VFX mixes with very gritty reality, as the super-kids provoke the ire of the mob. It’s edge-of-the-seat stuff, shot in the Western Cape township of Khayelitsha.
“When listening to the track it just came to mind ‘if normal children where given super powers, how would they react?’,” says Kyle, “and I thought back to my childhood, and I think I would have caused as much trouble (as these guys).
“I love the aesthetic of the township, especially the textures,” he adds. “I loved juxtaposing its realness with a fantasy story. The entire community got involved in the shooting of the video. I feel truly blessed to have experienced such a warm and welcoming place.”
Haezer ft Tumi
Troublemaker (Dim Mak)
Director: Kyle Lewis
SA rep: Golden Planes
Produced by Dirtysoul in association with Red Bull, Olmeca Tequila and GRIET
Director of Photography: Roscoe Vercuiel
Editor: Luke Apteeker of PRIEST post production
Producer: Ali Wacher
SFX: The MONK and Blake Prinsloo