MNEK's "Paradise" video explores beauty, pain, and makes a powerful statement about police brutality.
Ciaran Lyons, director: "I think the themes of MNEK’s track will resonate with a lot of people. What grabbed me was the underlying idea of the different responses elicited by the chaos of the modern world - the desire to escape from the real world into a fantasy paradise vs the possibility of standing strong and separate from all the madness and cruelty, in the hope of preserving something better. It’s a theme reminiscent of those who “carry the fire” in The Road.
The intention with the video was to echo these themes, while maintaining the ambiguity of the lyrics. Escaping, or standing apart can be seen either as an act of strength and heroism, or callousness and cowardice. So we have this beautiful human walking through a fantasy landscape made from symbols of growth and decay, never stopping, never getting involved, but coming out the other end still intact, and still beautiful."
