Raindance Film Festival 2021
Music Videos
With a bright and expressive colour palette mixed with a rhythm and blues soundtrack, Delia Simonetti’s promo for David Blank and PNKSAND’s Foreplay is a gorgeous celebration of Afro-Italian and queer communities in Milan. It blurs the line between music video and fashion shoot, perfectly complementing the song’s retro-futuristic vibe.
Hey Delia it's great to talk with you, how have you been keeping during these strange times and this time offered you the chance to find some new inspiration or opportunities?
I feel these times had the best and worst influence on me and my work. From total desperation to finally put in place projects I've been working on for years.
Congratulations on having your Music Video Foreplay at Raindance 2021, what does it mean to you to be at the festival?
The Raindance is of course a film festival of dreams, and of course a festival renowned for its independent mark. It's great they have this music videos' section - I love that now there are film festivals that are opening to music videos.
How much does your background in photography inform how you approach directing a Music Video like Foreplay?
What I always loved about photography is that you can represent a "figure", almost a tarot, an archetype. We tried to do this with Foreplay, to reinvent classicism. Also of course knowing how lights and lenses work was good for me in order to explain the light games and shots I wanted.
Can you tell me a little bit about Foreplay, what was it about David Blank & PNKSAND's music that connected with you?
Both David and Chantal (PNKSAND) are one of my prefer Italian artists now, I think what connected me was their need to be heard, how powerful their musics and lyrics are, even if they're very different artists.
The beats, the atmosphere, the images that this song pops into your head were amazing.
How much does the music influence how you write and develop a script for a music video?
A lot, in the same way when I was a kid I used to imagine a story when I heard a song I loved. I always totally relate to the song, and the artist's imagery.
What was the most challenging scene for you to film?
I don't think there was a scene more difficult than the others, but for sure to shoot all the different characters in a different lights set-up in one day was a challenge itself.
What was the most challenging scene for you to film?
I don't think there was a scene more difficult than the others, but for sure to shoot all the different characters in a different lights set-up in one day was a challenge itself.
How important is the collaborative partnership between music video director and musicians?
It depends on the genre, the song and the musician. In this case we were very collaborative, the original idea of doing a video that could represent the Afro-Italian scene and the casting were by David Blank and his manager (and Fluidostudio's owner), Protopapa.
Where did your passion for directing and photography come from?
I used to be a theatre actress when I was a kid and then a teenager, I guess my love for creating and inhabiting different worlds started there.
How much has your approach to your work changed since you started out?
I started being very impulsive and raw, then I became way more precise and I studied a lot, now I feel I'm back again to a more spontaneous approach but with the knowledge of these years of work.
"Also your inspiration can originate from a lot of different areas: painting, theatre, documentary, music, fashion, literature."
Do you have any advice or tips you would offer fellow photographers or directors?
Try to study, to watch as many other films and videos as you can, but try not to lose your spontaneity, cause that's your personal touch. Also your inspiration can originate from a lot of different areas: painting, theatre, documentary, music, fashion, literature. Don't just focus on your area for inspiration.
And finally, what do you hope people will take away Foreplay?
I hope people can see what representation means: to push forward the people's imagery, to create a space where reality and art finally stick together.