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Sanremo - Song and Lyrics Discussion


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Mika Spotlights 1950s Gay Cruising Culture in 'Sanremo' Music Video
 

mika-2x750.jpg

The out singer visited a time when homosexuality was illegal and underground in Western Europe.

 

OCTOBER 08 2019 2:54 PM EDT
 

Mika went cruising on the Italian Riviera.

The out singer's new music video "Sanremo," set in the Italian tourist destination, spotlights an era in recent Western European history when homosexuality was illegal and underground

 

The black-and-white video depicts Mika saying goodbye to his wife and family — before leaving to discover an underground bar where LGBTQ folks are mingling. Along the way, he evades both police officers and members of the clergy who eye him suspiciously.

 

Set in the 1950s, the music video includes real audio materials from that time period condemning gay people — and even the voice from a gay person coming out in order to give others "courage."

The video concludes with Mika's cruising cut short by a police officer. The singer hides his face as his car is pulled over and an ominous message is played.

“The policy of this administration is that we do not knowingly hire homosexuals, and if we find a homosexual in our administration, we terminate their employment without delay," a voice from the real-life audio declared.

 

Directed by W.I.Z., "Sanremo" depicts "an era when homosexuality, if not illegal, was socially unacceptable, a time of discrimination and persecution. San Remo represents his utopian dream, a fictional place of liberation and transcendence," the filmmaker said in a statement.

W.I.Z. also directed Mika's music video for "Tiny Love." Both tracks are part of his newest album, My Name Is Michael Holbrook.

Mika himself is no stranger to discrimination due to his sexual orientation. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed that he overheard one of the heads of a major record label saying they would not sign him because his music was "a little too gay

 

His songs, including hits like "Grace Kelly," also reportedly did not receive airtime on U.S. radio due to a similar stigma. "We can't get behind a man singing in falsetto that he wants to be like a woman," a gatekeeper told Mika's mother, according to his collaborator Greg Wells

Watch "Sanremo" below.

 

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i was today years old when i learned he sings "love that you need me" and not whatever i thought he sings.

:doh:

Why did i learn this today? Because in his BBC 2 [ Piano Room session ] he pretty obviously sings "Love that you're near me", which is also not what i thought he usually sings, so i looked it up.

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3 minutes ago, kreacher said:

i was today years old when i learned he sings "love that you need me" and not whatever i thought he sings.

:doh:

Why did i learn this today? Because in his BBC 2 [ Piano Room session ] he pretty obviously sings "Love that you're near me", which is also not what i thought he usually sings, so i looked it up.

 

Nice to see we are not the only ones who has to learn the lyrics properly before the tour... 

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4 hours ago, kreacher said:

i was today years old when i learned he sings "love that you need me" and not whatever i thought he sings.

:doh:

Why did i learn this today? Because in his BBC 2 [ Piano Room session ] he pretty obviously sings "Love that you're near me", which is also not what i thought he usually sings, so i looked it up.

 

4 hours ago, giraffeandy said:

 

Nice to see we are not the only ones who has to learn the lyrics properly before the tour... 

 

When Mika sings live does two things, changes the lyrics or forgets them.:naughty:

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17 hours ago, kreacher said:

i was today years old when i learned he sings "love that you need me" and not whatever i thought he sings.

:doh:

Why did i learn this today? Because in his BBC 2 [ Piano Room session ] he pretty obviously sings "Love that you're near me", which is also not what i thought he usually sings, so i looked it up.

 

I feel like "Love that youre near me" makes the most sense though, "Love that you need me" seems totally out of context to me. 

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/4/2019 at 11:58 PM, Kumazzz said:

 

 

 

VIMEO

MIKA sanremo -directors cut

 

 

16mm
Black & white
Running time: 4mins, 11secs

 

Directors statement:

We set this film in the late 1950’s to remind ourselves of an era when homosexuality if not illegal was socially shameful, a time of discrimination and persecution.

For Mika’s imprisoned character the lyrics become a hymn to feeling in an unfeeling world. ‘San Remo’ represents his utopian dream, a fictional place of liberation and transcendence. ‘Over there you shine like a star. Doesn’t even matter who you are…’
Yet fifty years later we sadly have to be aware that for many peoples in the world ‘San Remo’ still remains a dream. So I and we must wholeheartedly respect Mika himself for choosing to make this film with such courage and eloquence.
To be of value to someone other than oneself.

‘To get to a place where you could love anything you chose, not to need permission for desire, well now that was freedom’ -Toni Morrison
_____________________________________________________________________________

  • Director: WIZ
  • Producer: Robert Jelley
  • Screenwriter: Pierre Angelique

_____________________________________________________________________________
Cast:

  • HUSBAND: Mika
  • BUTCHER BOY: Darko Nađ
  • WIFE: Krista Krsnik
  • COP 1. Denis Rajčić
  • COP 2. Fabio Gržetić
  • RENT BOY 1: Alex Tomić
  • RENT BOY 2: Andrija Grgić
  • RENT BOY 3: Dario Kuzmanović
  • RENT BOY 4: Filip Stanić
  • RENT BOY 5: Leo Pavlačić
  • RENT BOY 6: Abraham Jan Hrubik
  • RENT BOY 7: Marino Čajdo
  • RENT BOY 8: Tomislav Tukša
  • FEMALE PROSTITUTE: Yisel Matos Campo
  • MALE PIMP/PRIEST: Robert Jakuš
  • SAILOR 1: Leo Mustač
  • SAILOR 2: Sandro Brletić
  • SAILOR 3: Shane Gibson
  • OLDER BAR CLIENT 1. Ato Kwarmina Markin
  • OLDER BAR CLIENT 2. Marijan Stipić
  • BAR LANDLADY: Ana Ermakora

Casting director: Krista Krsnik
___________________________________________________________________________

  • DoP: Catherine Derry
  • Production Designer: Valentina Jakobović
  • Editor: Edward Hanbury @ Trim
  • Directors agent: Alexa Haywood
  • Commissioner: Ailsa Robertson @ Island Records

_____________________________________________________________________________
Locations:
Apartment Transadria - Riva boduli 1, Rijeka. Stara vrata 8, Rijeka. Bar Skradin - Vodovodna 29, Rijeka. Port - Senjsko pristanište 3, Rijeka, Croatia

Shoot date: 7th SEPTEMBER 2019
_____________________________________________________________________________

  • Production Company: My Accomplice Films
  • Head of Production UK: Bonnie Anthony & Imogen Harrison
  • Service Producer Croatia: Dominik Bunjevac
  • Line Producer Croatia: Kras Gančev
  • Creative Assistant: Barabara Bunjevac
  • Storyboard artist: Barabara Bunjevac
  • 1st Assistant Director: Urška Samec
  • Location manager: Nina Majcan Šprajc
  • Location manager assisant: Dean Lalić
  • Focus puller: Ranko Mitić
  • Film loader: Filip Starešinić
  • 2nd assistant camera: Marko Ptiček
  • Video assistant: Hrvoje Bazina
  • Key grip: Luka Jelinić
  • Grip technician: Ivan Kralj
  • Gaffer: Petar Strmečki
  • Electrician: Sareno Kovačević
  • Generator operator: Vladimir Ladiš
  • Props On Set: Hrvoje Petelinšek
  • Set Dresser: Mateo Tomasevic
  • Set Dresser: Damir Draskovic
  • Set Dresser: Hrvoje Starjacki
  • Costume Designer: Leonie Hartard
  • Costume assistant: Katarina Bilan
  • Costume assistant: Ivana Stipičić Derado
  • Key make up: Maria Bingula
  • Make up assistant: Luka Horva
  • BTS photographer: Dino Šertović
  • TC Production Van: Zlatko Vrbančić
  • Wardrobe Van: Mario Đurek
  • Van 1: Dražen Mirković
  • Van 2: Neno Vlašić
  • Cast Bus driver: Dražen Zubić
  • Production Driver: Marko Mudrovčić
  • Head of Catering: Jelena Delic

__________________________________________________
Camera equipment: Focus 24
Film stock: Kodak
Laboratory: Martin Maclone, Kodak London
__________________________________________________

  • Offline producer: Tatyana Alexandra at Trim
  • Post producer: Tamara Mennell at Black Kite
  • Colourist: Richard Fearon
  • Flame artist: Guy Lubin

_________________________________________

 

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Hmm, I thought the director's cut would be longer, but apparently it isn't? It's just a bit more action and less Mika playing with his ring.

 

What I've noticed only now though, is that they're pouring milk over each other in the gay bar, and Mika tastes milk that is spilled on the table. We also have the milk in the Tiny Love video... now, is that anything gay-related that I don't know about? Or is Wiz just obsessed with milk for some reason? :naughty:

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12 minutes ago, mellody said:

Hmm, I thought the director's cut would be longer, but apparently it isn't? It's just a bit more action and less Mika playing with his ring.

 

What I've noticed only now though, is that they're pouring milk over each other in the gay bar, and Mika tastes milk that is spilled on the table. We also have the milk in the Tiny Love video... now, is that anything gay-related that I don't know about? Or is Wiz just obsessed with milk for some reason? :naughty:

 

@mellody I can't write about MILK at MFC, it's white liquid....

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12 minutes ago, Kumazzz said:

 

@mellody I can't write about MILK at MFC, it's white liquid....

 

Oops, ok, apparently my thoughts aren't naughty enough. 🙈 Ice Cream, then. :mf_rosetinted: :naughty:

If it has the same meaning in the TL video, I don't even want to start interpreting what all those bottles mean. :lmfao:

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1 hour ago, mellody said:

they're pouring milk over each other in the gay bar, and Mika tastes milk that is spilled on the table. We also have the milk in the Tiny Love video... now, is that anything gay-related that I don't know about?

 

55 minutes ago, Kumazzz said:

 

@mellody I can't write about MILK at MFC, it's white liquid....

 

Exactly my thoughts but I wasn't sure if I'm not just dirty-minded... However, it seems that's the right mindset for interpreting Mika's songs. :naughty:

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