A cocktail bar becomes the setting for a relatable comedy of manners and social embarrassment in Ricky Gibb's promo for Miles From Kinshasa's smooth Motionz.

Miles and his compadre Murkage Dave are out for a quiet drink, when Dave realises that one of the few other people in the bar is his ex-girlfriend. Gibb then allows a slow-burning comedy drama to develop between all the characters in the room, as everyone enjoys Dave's discomfort. And it turns out this also comes with a side order of surrealism.  

It's a stylish and quirky promo in which the director explores the familiar and humorous ways how communication can become strained when we are placed under certain duress.

RICKY GIBB:

It was incredible fun writing this concept and seeing it come together on the day through the incredible performances.

"Visually, I wanted to create something that contradicted the love-kissed summery vibe of the track. Out of cruelty, I wanted to capture the protagonists in the throes of a painful and awkward situation; I wanted to explore the dark side of love. There is a comedy in tragedy, and I think it inspires empathy to see people in uncomfortable and relatable situations, like those evident in Motionz.

"This year, I've felt nearly all aspects of my life reduced to what is absolutely vital; communication and social interactions more so than any other. This has inspired peace, stillness, and quietness in me as a person, and also in my work. It was interesting to play with the balance of how far the overall action could be diminished without inhibiting the film's ability to be compelling. The initial concept was literally four minutes of side-eye with a ludicrously amount of subtitles.

"It was incredible fun writing this concept and seeing it come together on the day through the incredible performances. This was a labour of love and would not have been possible without the hard work, willingness, and many favors pulled in from some great friends and collaborators."