Found-footage of families from the 1920s and 1930s experiencing the innocent delight in one another’s company features throughout this engaging video from Evelyn Cools. Cools explains the inspiration behind the video: “There is something about home videos and film from this time that really resonates with me. It feels so simple and pure, accentuating beauty in the little things, which fits perfectly with the message of ‘Misfit Paradise’. My hope is that this video transports people into a different time and place, and shows where our priorities should truly lie – in finding true connection and never taking the simple joys in life for granted.” Anastasia Shulepova and Yuri Semenyuk directed the filming on Roosevelt Island during the lockdown and the circumstances of the shoot offer a sharp contrast to the easy familial relationships in the archival films.
The song gently builds as Cools sings: “In this misfit paradise // We are all young,” reaching out to the vulnerable, the outsiders. It’s a beautifully executed and resonant song of hope. Cools says: “‘Misfit Paradise’ captures the beauty of time spent with people who accept us for who we truly are. The simplest and most carefree moments often become our fondest memories; they are what make life worth living. Once we find deep love for ourselves and the people that surround us, we can all create a paradise of our own. I wrote the song when I first moved to New York, so it felt very fitting to shoot the video here as well.” The title track from Cools’ new EP (check it out here), this is a song of acceptance and inclusive love. Enjoy.
