Isaiah Seret – alt-J “Pleader”

This is not your regular music video – it’s a six-minute, miniature epic inspired by “Pleader,” the closing cut on alt-J‘s album Relaxer.

The song itself is inspired by Richard Llewelyn’s book How Green Was My Valley, a story set in 19th century Wales in a small mining town, in part about a family that hopes its youngest son will find a better life. The song by alt-J is grand, too, recorded in a cathedral with an organ, a boys choir (alt-J keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton was a member of this choir as a child) and the London Metropolitan Orchestra.

alt-J say “When we set out to make a video for ‘Pleader’, we sent the following one-line brief to director, Isaiah Seret: ‘A Welsh mining love story; A tidal wave of earth.’ What Isaiah came back with was an epic short-film inspired both by the song’s source material and Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice. A family must pit their desire to have a child against the knowledge that this would destroy their community. The hypnotic, hymnal quality of the song binds the video throughout, hinting at redemption while destruction takes place.”

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A Biscuit Filmworks UK production

Director: Isaiah Seret

Executive Producer: Rupert Reynolds-MacLean

Producer: Sonya Sier

Story: Joe Newman & Isaiah Seret

Director of Photography: John Lynch

Production Designer: Marie Lanna

Costume Designer: Mr Gammon

Hair & Make Up Designer: Freddie Stopler

Casting Director: Kharmel Cochrane

Production Manager: Rebecca Mason

Production Coordinator: Jana Nouskova

Production Coordinator: Elena Argiros

Production Assistant: Gabija Lauce

Executive Logistic Manager: Nick Sier

1^st Assistant Director: Louis Barron

1^st / 2^nd Assistant Director: Tom Allan

Runner/2^nd: Yasmin Seddon

Runner: Daniel Linnik-Zhuravliov

Runner/Driver: Tereza Dvorak

Runner/Driver: Munzir Quraishy

Focus Puller: Rupert Hornstein

2^nd Assistant Camera: Kitt Sullivan

Steadicam: Leo Bund

Stills Photographer: Jake Dypka

DIT: Mike McDuffie

Grip: Benjamin Thomas

Gaffer: Romaine Foster

Electrician: Josh Wood

Set Dresser: Andrius Vystartas

Set Dresser: Jessica Morris

Art Department Assistant: Emma Chitty

Stand-by Props: Tom Major

Art Dept Assistant: Ellie Koszak

Action Vehicle Driver: Mr Weedon

Costume Designer Assistant: Chloe Adele

Costume Designer Assistant: Bridget Phelan

Hair Make Up Assistant: Heather Pitchford

Hair Make Up Assistant: Ellie Lewis

Casting Assistant: Heather Basten

Casting Assistant: Ariane Mason

Locations Assistant: Heather O’Neil

Locations Assistant: Zoe & Michael Tootell

Researcher: Joel Maslin

Choir master: Caroline Venter

Cardiff Council: Emma Coulthard

Cast:

Sophie Cookson – Bronwyn

Morgan Watkins – Andre

Anton Saunders – Hew (Andre’s brother)

Oliver Dimech – Younger Llewelyn

Harry Tayler – Younger Llewelyn

Ewan Hipperson – Older Llewelyn

Nick Sier – Miner

Robert Liddiard – Miner

Chris Morgan – Miner

Saskia Vaigncourt – Miners wife

Liza Ludbrook – Miners wife

Penelope Wildgoose – Miners wife

Sanna Kelly – Nun

Amy Evans – Nun 2

Basil Massy – Choir master

Arron Shire – Choir children

Elmari Venter – Choir children

Honor Hopkin – Choir children

Mathys Venter – Choir children

Owen Keegan – Choir children

Rayne Turner – Choir children

Rubyn Dimond – Choir children

Seren Wallington – Choir children

Tegan Wallington – Choir children

Tomos Boffy – Choir children

Harvey Sullivan – School bully

Rico Seddon-Davidson – School boy

Levi Seddon-Davidson School boy

Luca Jordan – School boy

Oscar Rudolph – School boy

Will Rudolph – School boy

Edit company: Work Post LA

Editor: Stewart Reeves

Edit Producer: Marguerite Olivelle

Music Edit – Parallax Post

Music editors – Luke Lynch & Paul Rogers

Post Production: Time Based Arts

Tom Johnson – Executive Producer

Sheldon Gardner – VFX Supervisor

Simone Grattarola – Colourist

Ben Stonehouse – Flame

Bernardo Varela – Nuke Lead

Ralph Brisco – Nuke

Lisa Ayla – Matte Painting

Mike Battcock – CG

Ben Cantor – CG

Federico Guzzardo – CG

Sound mix – Factory Studios

Sound Design & mix – Jon Clarke

Audio Producer – Lou Allen

Commissioner – Andrew Law

Label: Infectious Music UK

Manager: Stephen Tavener

Manager: Chelsea London

Marketing Manager: Jo Power

Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks UK

Birth imagery excerpted from Stan Brakhage, Window Water Baby Moving (1959, 16 mm, colour, silent, 12:11)

Volcano stock footage by James Reynolds – Earth Uncut TV

Special thank you: Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Thom Green, Shawn Lacy, Noam Murro.

Thank you: Chloe Page, Bradford Young, Isabelle & Jon Albuquerque, Jessica Seret, James Allen, Mike Skrgatic, Lisette Nice, Hanna Bayatti, Samantha Chitty, Jeff & Deane @ Brownian Motion Pinewood, Craig & Hildegarde @ Prolight, Get Set Hire, Blaenavon Ironworks Staff, Sylvia & Team @ St Fagans Museum, South Wales Caving Club