Sarah P.
Behold Sarah P.’s video for “Who Am I” directed by Oirot Buntot, shot at Teatro Rossi Aperto in Pisa, Italy where we witness the moves of statuesque dancers Elisabetta Biondi, Valentina Dardano, Manueala Marongiu, Iolanda Mirante, Vera Papp, Serghei Pascari, Natalie Perrotta, Giogio Puleo, Giovanni Rabuffo & David Rocchi. Featured off of Sarah’s forthcoming solo debut album of the same name available May 12 from EraseRestart; Sarah P. pits inquiries & elaborate & decadent electro pop quests to understand the intricacies that emanate around the subject of origins & identity.
Sarah P.’s “Who Am I” visualization deals with historical functions of identity in a gothic, ancient structure where the statues move from their stoic placement of stone for an interpretive dance of various expressive gesticulations. Sarah’s reiterations of who am I & where do I come from? are seen as our heroine is surrounded by the awakened statuesque dancers that invite her to join their pantheon of privileged matriarchs & patriarchs alike in a majestic ceremony that sees the mortal stepping in toe with the immortalized.
Via overseas exchanges; Sarah P. penned the following reflections on her new single & the powerful meanings & feelings behind it:
Throughout the past 7 years, I’ve been asking myself “who am I?”, “what have I become?”, “where do I belong?”. Especially during these times where nationalism wins over openness and understanding, my song (and album) explore the general identity crisis & impact of the individuals all around. For decades, we’ve been led by generations who lost their ID due to war, financial booming and perishing, as well as trying to cope (we, all of us) with the rapid technological progress & obsession. To satisfy our need to belong, the communal beings that we are, we become members of groups and movements, at times just to identify with a cause. Do we understand our full potential as individuals? Do we question the ways and the motives of the coordinated group we joined (when needed), or do we blindly flock (again)? Do we shush in the fear of ostracism, in the fear of being alone? We need to do something, we want to contribute to the society or to a good cause, but we feel stuck and kind of numb, trying to assimilate the events at all those zones where crisis blooms like flowers in spring. And we opt for that sisterhood, we opt for that brotherhood, now more than ever, but can we cope with it, isolated as we’ve become?
On the video (the directorial debut of the majorly talented Oirot Buntot), the statues wake up. Statues who have seen a lot, statues who know a lot and could share the wisdom of centuries ago where times were simpler, but minds were as complex, to say the least. And yes, scary scenario alert, they decide to take this girl with them. She’s scared in the beginning (who wouldn’t be?) but embraces her destiny towards the end. If we consider the statues as our ancestors, while keeping in mind all current anti-globalization moves and movements, the video’s interpretation could be very dark. However, if we see the statues as tokens of civilization and culture, siding up with them instead of following the leads of conservatism and ignorance, the message can be very encouraging. One thing is for sure, a fight is ahead of us and there are two sides. A decision has to be made, and may we all choose wisely.
