French Connection: Yannich Noah, Fatal Bazooka

We check out two recently released videos making waves in France...



Yannick Noah "Aux Arbres Citoyens"
dir. by ?
Combining clever animation and an environmental cause, "Aux Arbres Citoyens" is an interesting challenge to governments and world leaders who sit aimlessly discussing statistics while the world around them falls to pieces. The real fear here is that the children who must live on this dilapidating planet are being crushed and forgotten under the weight of these figures and charts. Perhaps the best moment comes as two kids attempt to push back an increasingly heavy piece of a pie chart; perfectly capturing the point while getting at our sympathies.

This video urges the viewer to think of the real world consequences of polluting actions, and reminds us of the relative simplicity of a healthy ecosystem. After all, we are taught from a very young age that if you put bad things in the air, then bad things will come back - and if you ignore a problem it never gets better. Of course there are complications on the road to cleansing the Earth, but it does make you stop and wonder why it seems so difficult for everyone to agree that this is an issue that matters.

Also reminds us of another (better) critique we came across a few weeks back.



Fatal Bazooka "Mauvaise Foi Nocturne"
dir. by Michael Youn
You don't have to be a French scholar to see the humor in this video. A parody of all things hip, hop and pop - it's really an epic comedy of errors. In the end it may be a bit too far over-the-top, but there are more than a few moments of hilarity. The car with the broken window and two steering wheels is an especially effective set piece.