Greentea Peng 'Hu Man' (Director's Cut) by Felix Brady

Felix Brady explores our sense of self in the mesmerising video for Greentea Peng's Hu Man. 

Spanning a series of hyperstylised vignettes, the video is packed full of iconography alluding to our sense of self and the falsehoods we have bought into as a society, and laments the way we are so reliant on our own egos. 

Peng explains, "The track is a war cry. Calling upon the energy of Kali Ma- ‘The Dark Mother’, to strip us from our ego, take the skin and leave the spirit and transcend the veil of Maya - The cosmic illusion. For the battleground is inside of us - between you and your ego. In Lak'ech Ala K'in” - “I am you , you are me.”

The sleek cinematography - care of DoP Ben Fordesman - feels almost dreamlike in its execution, and the use of VFX to transition between scenes and characters is a characteristic Brady touch that's seamless and very effective.

FELIX BRADY:

Every second of the film... is to hopefully encourage reflection on self.

"This track came at the worst and perfect time for me. I was going through lots of stuff in my personal life and had lost my best friend in November, so in other words I was questioning life and wondering what the fuck all of it was for.

"It coincidentally touched on a lot of the things that resonated with me - ego, unity, courage, frustration, vulnerability, the fucking relentlessness of the modern world. All that crap that fills our life up with anxieties you know.

"Every second of the film is designed to represent something and to hopefully encourage reflection on self. For example the bird heard at the start and end was a recording of the last ever Kauai 'O'o calling to a female that doesn't exist, a haunting reminder of how lonely and isolated we can feel in this modern world.

I feel this was the most symbiotic relationship I've had with camera gizmos and storytelling.

"There is also a scene when a woman's outfits and environments change constantly yet she retains a fluid walk. This embodies that idea that identity is simply a shell that is interchangeable. 

"Finally there is the scene in the car, where we pan over to see the car is driverless. This is about asking the question - who is driving your car? Is it you or your ego ? Or are you just a passenger in this vessel...

"Big thanks the the crew and people like Robomoco who allowed us the space and time to achieve some of these shots. I truly feel like this was the most symbiotic relationship i've ever had with camera gizmos and storytelling."

Watch 'Greentea Peng 'Hu Man' (Director's Cut) by Felix Brady' here