The Republic of Sangre Azul

The Republic of Sangre Azul

The video tells the story of Poor Boy (PB), a street smart kid who charms his way into the upper classes and begins to live the good life filled with all the right people, all the right places and all the right things. But he is a foreigner in a world with it's own perverse moral code. A Blue Blood brings him down and steals his girl. Finding that he can't go back to who he was, he ignores the call of his instinct, and returns to the corruption of the inner sanctum. He descends into a decadent lifestyle that so fragments his psyche he can no longer recognize himself. He finally revolts and discovers images from his past that lead him to his future.
In the subplot, PB confronts his deteriorating relationship to himself in a large ornate mirror. His fragmented psyche is reflected using photographic techniques including time lapse, still photo montage and a series of dissolves of infrared images.
The Characters
Poor Boy (PB) is an engaging ambitious young man who is tantalized by the images of the good life and pursues them despite the calls of his instinct personified by both his sister and the band members.
Sister is an appealing down to earth girl with a sense of humor. She is younger but wiser than her brother and tries to help him reconnect with himself.
Blue Blood (BB) appears to be Poor Boy's friend but is really his nemesis. He is suave, rich and privileged and represents everything PB thinks he wants.
Girl friend (GF) is a polished, beautiful but cold girl who is intrigued by PB but ultimately trades up in a callous move that leaves PB disgusted.
The Band appears first as furniture movers that represent PB's blue-collar roots and honest work and camaraderie. Next PB encounters them in a pub and challenges Lucas to a game of pool which PB loses. The band sings the chorus "Don't forget sister" to PB almost like a Greek chorus, trying to warn and advise the hero, but PB resists their call with bad results.
The Locations
The Tavern - Where we first find Poor Boy engaged in a match with BB who is slumming with his friends and later where he encounters the band mates. The tavern is a cozy, warmly lit environment with a rich green pool table, soft amber light and an ambiance of good cheer.
The Private club - PB gains access to the Private Club through BB once he secures his place in the establishment. The club is dimly lit, windowless, murky. People are dressed in suits and smart dresses. Cold light reflects off crystal glasses, highly polished bar, the rich wood of the doors. There is a fine quality to the details but the shadows hold something ominous.
Poor Boy's apartment - A simple space with a few pieces of furniture, almost more of a storefront than a home. It is dominated by a huge ornate mirror which hangs over a dresser that holds all the snapshots of PB's life and tells the story of his rise and fall through a photo montage of these pictures encroach on PB's face, engulfing him in a claustrophobic, monochromatic world. (See portfolio for photos)
The Cliffs -A beautiful surreal natural terrain of crumbling graffiti covered sidewalks being overtaken by wildflowers and palm trees against a breathtaking backdrop of sea and sky. The perfect metaphor for evolving from the decay of a past life. (See portfolio for photos)

The video has the narrative events of a classic tale but also explores the realms of the psyche using visually compelling but inexpensive photographic techniques of time lapse, still photo montage and speed manipulations. It gives a young actor a dynamic role with interpersonal conflict as well as a chance to perform a monologue of expression and gesture within the mirror. The band is featured in a way that introduces them first as sympathetic characters within the story and ultimately as a talented, explosive musical presence. It showcases them in an amazing natural environment that provides the perfect stage for the uplifting musical climax of Don't Forget Sister.