Evolution, Rebirth and Healing: SMUGGLER Unveils Fish Tank Vision of the World in Tranquil Music Video for Kai

Allie Avital’s reveals its latest project for Kai, 'Fade Away', which is the director and artist’s second project together. In the video, Kai opens the curtains and performs through the window, while otherworldly fish fall from the sky outside. What begins as a single fish pressed against her window, turns into a school of fish raining down from the sky, until eventually Kai turns to a fish herself. In connecting with the rebirth happening around her, she becomes part of nature, transforming and healing as the world does too.

Shot by Sonia Tsypin, a frequent collaborator of Allie’s - and the director’s sister - the film developed playful and experimental visual language. The camera movement adds energy to the performance and the mixture of close-ups of abstracted images, coupled with the surreal visual effects creates a feeling that’s magical yet minimalist. She cleverly juxtaposes sensual micro imagery with macro shots giving character and emotion to the natural elements.   

The idea was born out of production constraints given the times and inspired by the events in the world. Allie sees all of us living in a fish tank while the planet is healing without us in it. The video is about the planet, climate changes, fluidity in all its forms, Piscean Nature, and Allie creates her own unique fiction utilising all of these elements. There’s an otherworldly quality to the music video as she tells a strange but tasteful story of endings, evolution, rebirth and healing.

Allie concluded: “This video was inspired by all the stories of animals emerging during the pandemic - dolphins in canals and goats in the streets etc... nature healing itself as humanity lays low. Directed remotely from New York and shot in LA by my sister Sonja, it was such a luxury to do a second video with an open minded artist such as Kai. And then working with the brilliant animator Erik Ferguson again to design the creatures made for a beautiful collaboration across many time zones in the heart of quarantine.“