Charlie Reader directs a powerful one-shot video for Novo Amor, depicting an astronaut after she has crash-landed back onto Earth, making an enigmatic phone call. 

Brooding and emotional, the video for If We're Being Honest has an air of tension and urgency, and it's as much about the information it withholds from the viewer, as the information it presents on-screen. How has her capsule landed on a suburban road? And who is she speaking to?

The end result is beautiful and poignant, a snapshot of time visualised from a unique perspective. 

CHARLIE READER:

For all of its challenges, there's something quite liberating about a one-shot.

"With If We’re Being Honest, I wanted to create a simple but powerful story that feels entirely timeless, yet is also attuned to the strange situation the world finds itself in now with the global pandemic: the emotional complexities of living in isolation and being detached from loved ones.

"An astronaut returning from space after many years seemed to perfectly encapsulate those ideas, and the crash-landing felt fitting in its requirement for strength and resolve to make it through. I think it’s a universal story for any struggle and I wanted it to ultimately feel optimistic; projecting a message of hope, resilience and reunification.

"The song is so powerful with this beautiful, steady build, so I felt this story would be told best as a one-shot that reveals more of the narrative as the music builds to the crescendo. For all of its challenges, there is actually something quite liberating about a one-shot - you work at it until you nail it and then you have it; a complete film you can watch there and then, immediately after shooting it. It takes a little luck and a lot of faith though!

"Ali [Meredith-Lacey aka Novo Amor] was great to work with and was very trusting of this process. The entire cast and crew worked incredibly hard to pull this off during a challenging period for production. We built a space capsule and a space suit from scratch, and had to overcome a number of challenges. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make it happen!"