Some friends recently put me on to the work of London based director Yoni Lappin, best known currently for the music videos he’s supplied for UK producer Mura Masa. Most likely you’ve seen his film making through the video for ‘Love$ick’ featuring A$AP Rocky, which you can check out below.
Lappin, as you can see, is perfectly on point with the unfiltered visual trends that have been driven by social media across the last 12 months. It’s a style that continues to disrupt brand identities as they continue to ride photojournalism aesthetic in an effort to stay connected. And with this style in mind it’s no surprise that the self-taught filmmaker was recently tapped for the Converse x JW Anderson campaign. Expect to see him working with more and as 2018 unfolds and these brands rely
But the real treat in Lappin’s portfolio is a project consisting of a series of shorts from modern day Israel. Love The Time was originally commissioned by Nowness for inclusion in their Scenes series, with an initial five-minute cut titled One Night In Israel uploaded to the site in November last year. In his own words, Lapin aimed to capture to complexity of growing up in Israel in as honest way as possible. Skating, smoking and making music in an environment that most of us really know very little about, it’s an engaging watch that blends familiarity of growing up set against a distinctly historical, politically complicated and incredibly beautiful setting.
Late December the film was uploaded again, as a Director’s Cut feature with the new title Love The Time and a duration stretching out closer to eleven minutes, taking you deeper in to differing youth cultures that have arisen from modern Israel.
via Nowness
British-based filmmaker Yoni Lappin’s raw, philosophical journal charts the languid and contrasting experience of growing up in modern Israel. “Israel is a complex place with so many different viewpoints and interpretations,” Lappin explains: “I felt this was a story I needed to tell, to capture something honest.
Growing up with the internet in a diverse and historic country, the youth captured in the director’s journey includes the Arab Trap Rappers PNGWNG CRU, the Jerusalem Skater Girls (J.S.G.), and clubgoers at a heady, pulsating night in Tel Aviv. “You are seeing these people come together not only to show their appreciation for the sound that is raising them, but are also creatively beginning to interpret it in their own way,” the filmmaker explains.
Skating, rapping, and partying become an outlet for self-expression beneath the region’s fierce sun and amidst its political complexities. London-based Lappin continues: “Originally, this film was simply about youth culture in Israel—but it moved me far more profoundly than I had thought, documenting an exciting young generation—all from different backgrounds, with fresh ideas, empowerment, and an intense energy.”