The Story

My first ever film project! It only took since February, when, hearing my brother playing a beautiful tune, I Shazammed Thunder & Lightning and was mesmerized by it from the very first second!

Listening to the album Life Goes On, became my safe haven in the most trying time of my life. It helped me in the journey of rediscovering my self worth and independency. It has been my companion for nearly a year and I have put my heart and soul into creating a piece, which can hopefully do it justice.Thunder & Lightning resonates my own journey, with every word, every beat and every note. The album ‘Life Goes On’ helped me through a very dark period. It also helped channel my pain and translate it into something that lasts. It seemed only fair to try and tell my story through this timeless work of art and to close a somewhat unfulfilled, unpleasant chapter.

I am forever grateful to Azedia for letting me use this song, in order to immortalise the most important part of my life with it. So…from the bottom of my heart…Thank you guys!! Life goes on 🙂

"What is art? Art grows from joy and sorrow. But mostly from sorrow. It grows from human lives." Edvard Munch — “What is art? Art grows from joy and sorrow. But mostly from sorrow. It grows from human lives.”-Edvard Munch, Photo© Arman Farinnia

Cast and Crew

My wonderful director, hard at work , Lilford Gallery, Canterbury. Photo© Maryam Mazraei — My wonderful director, hard at work , Lilford Gallery, Canterbury.Photo© Maryam Mazraei

I don’t know if I should put it down to beginners’ luck or not, but I had THE most fantastic cast and crew on board! After weeks of stressful auditioning and weighing out my options, I ended up with a dream team! Despite the sad nature of the video, and despite the lack of sleep for two days, we were a surprisingly upbeat bunch! We ate, drank, laughed and worked, and got on like a perfect little family!

Cast:

Elika Ashoori
Russell Geoffrey Banks
Oliver Dawson
Sarah Court

Crew:

Director and D.O.P : Joseph Gainsborough
Runner and Lighting: Martin Kloud
Producers: Aryan Ashoori and Elika Ashoori
Editor: Aryan Ashoori
Creative Director/ On-set Photographer: Maryam Mazraei
Screenwriter: Elika Ashoori
Time-Lapse Photography: Arman Farinnia
Colourist: Jack Kibbey Newman

Music By:

Azedia
Track: Thunder and Lightning
Album: Life Goes On

Special Thanks to:

Lilford Gallery
Burgate Coffee House
The Black Griffin
Rella

Thanks to the extremely kind people of Lilford Gallery, who let us film parts of our video in their space! Photo© Maryam Mazraei — Thanks to the extremely kind people of Lilford Gallery, who let us film parts of our video in their space!
Photo© Maryam Mazraei

A big thanks goes to the Burgate Coffee House, who were far more than hospitable while we filmed parts of the video there! Great coffee too! — A big thanks goes to the Burgate Coffee House, whose staff were far beyond hospitable while we filmed parts of the video there! Great coffee too!

Last but not Least:

I would like to give a special thanks to my brother Aryan, who was the wheels behind this production. Not only did he help me produce the majority of the project, he was also there as my runner, editor and extra on set! I can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done for me without sounding cheesy!

Inspiration behind the video

This video is about a girl who risks it all and loses herself for a man who fills in the visible gaps in her life, by studying her likes and dislikes, in order to mirror and own her. She throws away a relationship, which has lost its spark, and is lured in by the glistening promises of things she thinks matter the most…until what matters the most happens, and she realises, only too late, who was there for her the whole time.

This project reminds me of a quote from the book ‘The White Queen’ by Phillipa Gregory, where she says: “A man will always promise to do more than he can do, to a woman he cannot understand.”

The subject matter relates to many people out there who are victims of hasty promises of everlasting love, false hopes and misplaced priorities. It questions the lengths some people go to in order to make sure their immediate urges and desires of “forever” are met. How strong is a person’s sense of entitlement to ‘the here and now’ with no realistic thoughts for the future?

Is there a way of knowing ahead of time, if we are just guinea pigs in someone’s experiment of finding true love? In theory, are we merely someone’s ‘one and only’, someone’s ‘forever’, until we seize to be what they want us to be, which is the best version of ourselves?

Who will be there for you in the end? Are the things that we think make someone special and worthy of being let into our sacred space, the things that truly matter in the long run? Have we got our priorities straight? Whom should you risk everything for? Someone who mirrors your hobbies, interests and happiness in order to become an extension of yourself so they can see a decent image of themselves in your reflection? Or should it be for someone who is there when that perfect image is shattered and reality kicks in? Someone who will share your sorrows, tragedies, shortcomings and is there to empathise without judgement or ulterior motives?

Love yourself and you will never let the wrong person in. If someone is meant to steal your heart, may you love yourself enough to give it up to the right person!

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Thunder and Lightning – Azedia (Unofficial Music Video)

The Story

Inspiration behind the video

About The Author