Kid Koala “Basin Street” (Canada | 2003 | Dir. MONKMUS)
Kid Koala’s record sampling magic is equivalent of conducting a full orchestra. Ninja Tune starlet brought in his long time collaborator MONKMUS to this music video. The decadence of New Orleans jazz street is emphasized by director’s surrealist animation characters. I personally was appalled to learn other people’s gravity also gets cut loose from its feet- like a balloon released into the air.

Funky Square Dance “Phoenix” (US | 2003 | Dir. Roman Coppola)
This I must say was a goldmine in this year’s Resfest. Simple yet so fresh. The Resfest favorite directors are adored of their personal storytelling and this was no exception. The imagery in response to the actual song takes the form of memorandum that scrolls down. It’s a win win situation while audience is forced to read the story as it gets typed in, but they’ll do so regardless since you could not help being drawn to it. E-mail offer from the band to his sister Sofia’s note of two cents, and even to his girlfriend supermodel Frankie Rayder’s private kitchen dance’ you are literary invited in to director’s life for couple minutes. The humble appliance (or just a minimal aesthetics?) of techniques marks the bright and creative future in filmmaking.

Yoko Ono “Walking On Thin Ice” (US | 2003 | Dir. Mike Mills & Arya Senboutaraj)
Resfest favorite Mike Mills’ this year’s entry was in animation- the monotone fantasy . For a second you cannot help to wonder if this is really Yoko Ono’s voice but then before you realize your main focus has shifted to follow the storyline. The bunny in the book that girl holds and reads on her bed, starts running deep into the forest. The snow starts falling and the bunny eventually gets buried in the snow and its body goes back to the soil. The girl finds the little flower grew on that soil, and inhales the scent. The molecule of the scent contains of little bunnies settles into girl’s body while that metaphor applies to the bunny caught in the cage. Then she releases the bunny into the forest’ then the story draws the philosophical loop. Applause to Yoko Ono’s tasteful decision on director.

Champagne “Millionaire” (France | 2003 | Dir. Phil Dussol)
The visual rollercoaster ride in the actual city of Paris- these modern age bank robbery is portrayed in b/w with plenty of contrast, which charges the full speed effect. The video is cut down from director Dussol’s original 23-minute short ‘Easy Money,’, a film shot illegally over four months. The band, by the way, also provides the electrifying performance on stage- something you should keep an eye for.

The Postal Service “Such Great Heights” (US | 2003 | Dir. Josh & Xander)
The Seattle residence Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel etc. exchanged mail. The project was born in such a manner (Tamborello sent his 80’s influenced tracks of instrumental songs to Gibbard to have him add the blissfully trance lucent vocal) that band name just simply explains. That sentimentalism has been interpreted in futuristic lab that human touch no longer exists. The longing look of the character and the way the machine responds to Tamborello’s electronic rhythm haunts us with a wonder that one day the touch on another’s skin might be a complete history.