Cicada Song
The Only Constant in Life is Change
Directed by Keith Leung
Interview by Curation Hour
At a crossroad between a music video and a short film, Cicada Song captures a fleeting and intimate moment in coming to terms with grief and accepting change as a natural part of life. Directed by Keith Leung, the project is a collaboration with musician Noa Drochak who initially recorded the track during a hot summer's night in Japan. An ode to the passing of time and how everything is temporary, including the pain and and grief we feel, Cicada Song reminds us that the only constant in life is change.
Tell us about what led you to create Cicada Song and the inspiration behind the work.
Living in New York City is strange. You'll walk past someone that you recognise, your heart will drop, and when you do a double take, you'll realise that it was a stranger after all. People change and drift apart, but time just keeps going on. Noa's song captured this feeling perfectly, and I wanted to bring it to life on screen.
Why did you pick this title? And does it have a special meaning?
The title for Cicada Song came to be in a less glamorous way than you'd expect - Noa originally recorded the song on a summer's night in Japan, and there were cicadas chirping in the background. However, after some further thought, we found that the title was actually perfect for the theme of the song. Like the cicadas that come and go with the seasons, you must embrace that nothing stays the same. People change and drift apart, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.
Cicada Song is a short film, but also feels like a music video. How did the collaboration with musician Noa Drochak begin?
Noa and I met at NYU's Washington DC campus. If you didn't know that existed, neither did we. Both of us were politics majors at the time - miserable, repressed artists. Two years later, we were both pursuing creative careers, and we decided it was high time we collaborated on a project.
We particularly loved the photography, led by Reece Daniels. How did you ensure that he understood the feel and overall mood of your vision?
Reece is one of those collaborators that just understands my intention on a psychic level. Telepathy aside however, the storyboards I drew gave Reece a clear understanding of my vision. I think any director, no matter how bad they are at drawing, should storyboard. Filmmaking is a visual medium - why not give your crew some visual references?
What was the most challenging aspect of this production? And how did you overcome it?
The most challenging aspect of this production was definitely the weather. We shot this for a class at NYU, and we only had the school equipment for a week - and it was actually slated to rain all seven days. Without any other option, we had to bite the bullet and shoot it anyways, but fortunately for us, the film gods blessed our shoot. The rain stopped thirty minutes before our shoot, the clouds parted, and we got beautiful rays of afternoon sunshine beaming through the dissipating rainclouds. The river path was glistening with fresh rain puddles. It was ridiculously dramatic.
What are you working on next?
I'm currently in pre-production for my thesis film, a narrative short titled I, Chinese. It follows an Asian influencer who rises to fame for doing racist Chinese impressions on the internet. Uncomfy? Curious? Awesome. I'm putting my entire heart and soul into this project, and I can't wait to show you guys when it's all done.
Director/ Editor/Storyboards: Keith Leung
Lyrics/Music/Vocals: Noa Drochak
Director of Photography: Reece Daniels
1st Assistant Director: Menny Son
Cast: Jack Forbes, Andrei Captan, Eden Amira, Noa Drochak