PT Anderson directs Thom Yorke in ANIMA
August 31, 2020 11:42 AM   Subscribe

Along with his new self-described “dystopian” solo album ANIMA, Thom Yorke has released a companion one-reeler of the same name, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Shot in Prague and Les Baux-de-Provence, the short film (watch here) follows Yorke dozing off while riding an underground train. When he finds himself unable to exit the station, he leaps across the turnstile and lands into a surreal world where he dances with a small army of people.

The film is set to three ANIMA songs: “Not the News,” “Traffic,” and “Dawn Chorus.”

ANIMA is choreographed by Damien Jalet, who helmed the choreo in Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 Suspiria adaptation (scored by Yorke). It features actress Dajana Roncione (Yorke’s current girlfriend), as well as the Swedish GöteborgsOperans dance company.

New Yorker: Thom Yorke’s “Anima” Is His Best Solo Album

PT Anderson also most recently released several music videos to accompany pop-rock trio HAIM’s new album “Women in Music Pt. III,” “The Steps”, and "Valentine."

Previous Anderson video's include collaborations with Michael Penn, Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann, Joanna Newsom, and Radiohead.
posted by waving (6 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
I will always be here for you, Thom.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 1:14 PM on August 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


in the before time, this showed in a handful of IMAX theaters around the world and I got a chance to see it in Seattle on a ginormous screen at a volume I can still feel in my bones.
posted by josephtate at 1:26 PM on August 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


Previously.

I really disliked PTA's early films (with the exception of Hard Eight) but I did a full 180 on him about the time There Will Be Blood came out.

Those Haim videos are terrific, too.
posted by Mothlight at 1:29 PM on August 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


I watched this on Netflix when it first was released and enjoyed it but having listened to the album on and off since then, so I appreciate the reminder and I'm now rewatching it.

It's interesting to view this compared to something like to Fiona Apple's Paper Bag that has so many clear visual flourishes that were prevalent in PT Anderson's early work like Boogie Nights and Magnolia (both of which I do actually really enjoy still). Anima has the direction take a backseat to the choreography, music and environments. It's deliberately pretty stark and not showy.

I won't pretend to always "get" Thom Yorke or actively enjoy all his music/projects, but I do like Anima in particular and I think Suspiria is legitimately a genius piece of work.
posted by slimepuppy at 2:05 PM on August 31, 2020


He should be careful getting into cars - might be a snake on the floor
posted by thelonius at 2:17 PM on August 31, 2020


I've been trying to build myself up to watching this for days and failing, so . . . can someone ambivalent about Thom Yorke tell me whether or not this is insufferable?
posted by aspersioncast at 3:56 PM on September 3, 2020


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