Strangeness, in all the meaning of the word, constitutes the broad title of the clip of the artist Yara’s song, “Not in Your Mood”. The idea of the clip signed by Risha Sarkis goes out of the ordinary, attracts the eye and occupies the mind.
Whoever watched the clip knows that we are talking about a light-hearted, rhythmic song. Written and composed by Aziz El Shafei in Egyptian. It is among the songs of the album that Yara is working on putting the finishing touches on, in preparation for its release soon.
The scenes of the clip are limited to colored lips singing. Sometimes it is encrusted with crystals and shiny “paites”, and we discover in the last moments that it belongs to the artist Yara. At first glance, the viewer of “Not in Your Mood” will not be able to count the number of human messages he carries, but he will realize them when he watches it a second time and more, because many signs point to it.
The clip “Mish Bmzajk” has been released by “The Trend” since its promotional announcement (Risha Sarkis).
These esoteric messages deal with the number of mouths, freedoms, concealment of the truth, and others. The focus comes on one of the expressive features of the face, which is the mouth, and it represents the beginning and the end of every situation and conversation. It is from it that expressions of anger, love, frustration and joy emerge, affecting our social relations positively or negatively.
All these titles were collected by Risha Sarkis in this clip, which he describes as “the concern of the eye and the thought.” You may like the clip or vice versa, but in the end it cannot go unnoticed by the viewer.
There is no doubt that the idea required courage from its owner to put it at the disposal of people. Where did it get it from, and what is its story? Richa Sarkis replies to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: “Any director can present a new and bold idea to the artist behind the song. But what is not normal for the star to have the audacity to do it. This is what happened with Yara, who is always looking for the best. It is also surrounded by a professional team that knows how to develop the image of Yara, the artist, and push her forward.
The main goal that Risha set before his eyes in this clip is to remove Yara from the prevailing stereotypes on the scene. “I was looking for a fawn that would leave its mark on Yara and her fans.”
He was inspired by the idea, says Alberto, a make-up artist. “I was impressed by his style of applying cosmetics to a woman’s face, especially the lips. He was famous for adopting (look) signs, which were admired by the majority of women who wear his shop. I stored the idea in my head, and when the time came, I took it out and used it as a work of art.
In Richa’s opinion, Yara’s classy personality, on the one hand, and her light-heartedness, on the other hand, formed a great space for him to complement her with the idea of the clip. “No matter how long Yara stays, she maintains her sophistication, in my opinion. And when I agreed to the idea and implemented it, I realized that I had invested it in the right person.
We do not see Yara’s face throughout the clip, which lasts more than three minutes. He does not discover his scenes with red, green, and bronze lips at times, and at other times blue, yellow, and violet, except at the end of it. Sarkis resorted to Yara’s hands to use a visual effect that breaks the scene of the singing lips. Through it, he installed the indirect messages he wanted to deliver.
Richa Sarkis comments in the context of his speech: “Exotic may be an essential element in this work. But we are in the era of social media and mobile, weirdness is no longer hidden from anyone. But the most important thing is to create a product like no other before. The eye sees it and the brain rejoices in it. As you noticed, the song goes to one place and the visual element to another. But it subconsciously puts a smile on your mouth. Even when we listen to it in the car, its words and melody inspire optimism and joy.”
Richa Sarkis and Yara during the filming of the clip (Risha Sarkis)
Sarkis’ thinking is in line with the demands of people today looking for space for hope and a smile. “The whole world is looking for joy after a tough period of time that we lived on this planet. And the song “Mish Bmzajk” fulfills this requirement because it is light, and it contains the sweetness that we craved for at Yara. In fact, I was not looking for strangeness as much as I was interested in satisfying the eye with a different visual and allowing the thought to rejoice.
The song’s clip has been achieved since its “trend” promotional clip was shown on social media. A large number of people have expressed their admiration for it. On the other hand, he garnered many criticisms, most of which revolved around the idea. He explains to Asharq Al-Awsat: “Today, artists must give the director the opportunity to go with him to a place where they will be renewed. By doing so, they move away from repetition and from the ordinary, which is what Najwa Karam did recently. She knew how to turn a classic page to start with another that contributed to the renewal of her era. The late director Yahya Saadeh used to present unfamiliar clips in the past, and the artists did not like them. But it turned out that he was ahead of his time. Unspent Ideas was his title.” As for the criticisms, he says: «I have read them all, some of them made me sad, because effort should not be met with absurdity. But I soon forget it after a few moments, because it does not deserve attention, unless it is constructive.
Sarkis tried to highlight Yara’s sense of fun through “Not in your mood” (Risha Sarkis).
In the clip, Risha reflects Yara’s spontaneous and playful personality, as he says, “I wanted to highlight her qualities that her followers are ignorant of. I usually consult my mother on the work I do. And when I saw the clip, she started smiling from the first moment, and I knew that it would succeed.
The clip took about 20 hours to implement, as it required special filming, and in an indoor studio and on a somewhat narrow space, it was executed. “I didn’t know that removing lipstick color and replacing it with another one takes time. I later learned that lips had to be cleansed and rested in order for them to sparkle with a new color. Here it must be noted that my use of the method of cosmetic expert Alberto was correct. We, artists, must benefit from each other’s talents and navigate them to broader horizons.
Richa Sarkis concludes for Asharq Al-Awsat: “It is not necessary for the visual spectacle to exert its influence on the eye and the brain. The most important thing is the feeling that it provides you with, even if you generate controversy around the work. Indeed, art is a message that we must write with a high sense in order to touch people’s hearts.
