Mihai Feflea directs a high-spirited promo for Penguin Cafe. In 1972, the founder of Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Simon Jeffes (father of Arthur Jeffes, who founded Penguin Cafe) was hallucinating from fish poisoning, and imagined the Penguin Cafe as "a magical haven within the concrete jungle." This video aims to bring all these facets to life.The juxtaposition of warm, playful character work and grey city landscapes is immediately captivating, with some of London's best-known brutalist structures appearing in the backdrop of the visual. Josie Cronk's cinematography emphasises the distinct worlds represented in the video: the neon world at night, the natural light of day and the warm tungsten lights in the café. These worlds are a unique yet familiar part of everyday life, and feel immediately comforting yet complex, much like the soundscapes in the track and musical genre.
Rob Ulitski - 7th July 2023