The Video Explained: A Winged Victory For the Sullen - 'Aqualung, Motherfucker' ft. Nikolai Kinski
Adam Wiltzie of A Winged Victory For The Sullen and director Jonas Govaerts talk to us about the gripping short film for the band’s brooding contemporary classical song, ‘Aqualung, Motherfucker’, featuring a dark performance from actor Nikolai Kinski.
Where was the video for ‘Aqualung Motherfucker' filmed?
-Adam Wiltzie -
We were initially thinking we would make the video in Los Angeles, but in the end I am so pleased we stayed close to home in Belgium.
Everything on set + the rear projection scenes were filmed in the city of Antwerp, Belgium. The location shots were filmed in 2 little villages in Antwerp Province (Kapellen, & Wilrijk)
Jonas has done most of his work in this country so he was also de facto location scout. I encouraged him to find a villa with a tennis court, but other than that I let him choose the locations.
How does the video connect with the song?
-Jonas Govaerts -
Hopefully, the video adds to the beauty of the the composition, as well as the underlying darkness. There are no lyrics to guide the visuals, but I found just the title alone inspirational. There’s a promise of menace and violence to the words ‘Aqualung, Motherfucker’, which forms an intriguing contrast with the serene, elegiac quality of the track itself. We were also very careful not to have the images nullify the mysterious air of the music, but instead to complement it: Nikolai didn’t tell us what he saw in his mind’s eye when he shut the trunk or looked through the viewfinder, and I sure didn’t ask him...
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you could share with us?
-Adam Wiltzie-
So like the saying goes “ Honour Your Mistakes as a Hidden Intention”,as with anything that happens on set you are constantly fighting the clock. Any small change requires about an hour to re-frame the shot and move anything needed prop wise. The corpse with the axe in the head was really difficult to frame so that it did not look fake. We had long discussions with Bobby McGlynn (Vikings TV Series) who made the prosthetics and had extensive dead body/murdered by axe to head experience on that series. We had initially though we would get an extra to lie down and play dead, but Bobby encouraged us to use the dummy corpse made beautifully by (Saskia Verreycken) and he kept insisting on letting us know that no matter how crap the corpse looks as long as you have the good fake blood we can make it work (Robert Smith silicone flow blood. It's the fake blood equivalent of that uncut Colombian stuff, and has become the industry standard of blood excellence).
Or as Bobby often said “I'll bring the yuck, and it'll be great”….
Can you tell us about the ideas/themes/imagery used?
-Jonas Govaerts -
Adam approached me with not just the music, but also a short treatment and a mood board, which basically told me all I needed to know. For example, even though Adam didn’t specify, it felt perfectly logical to me to opt for slow motion, slow cross-dissolves and old-fashioned rear projection. I was actively encouraged to follow my own vision, which includes happy accidents: my favourite parts of the video actually weren’t planned at all. For example, I had no idea Nikolai’s glazed-over eye would match up so beautifully with the image of the tunnel that follows it. Similarly, the single tear that rolls over Nikolai’s cheek at the end was a total coincidence: his eye was only watering because we kept having to put the lens in over and over again. For me, those kind of moments really make the video.
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
-Adam Wiltzie-
I am not one for positive thinking & visualisation but, I believe I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man. I was focused on the existential to the exclusion of all else, but as soon as Bobby McGlynn was on board to do prosthetics, all seriousness went out the window. Sometimes you meet people and you form a bond of hilarity. I cannot believe after 50 years on this planet, i am only now realising the importance of having a Irishman on set. Also, having someone like Jonas who seemed to understand my initial treatment (no small feat) and was able to come up with some beautifully framed shots & atmosphere that would have been impossible without his involvement. So to make a long story short. The message is All truly good and meaningful work is done in defiance of management.
Interview by Karla Harris
Aqualung, Motherf*cker", is taken from A Winged Victory for The Sullen’s current album, ‘The Undivided Five’ which is out now via Erased Tapes and Kranky.