Because of Abel Tesfaye's notorious reticence to be photographed, the imagery associated with his project The Weeknd, captured in cover art and in un/official videos, is a collection of imagined movie stills. Accumulated, these foggy glances at bare legs, tiny dresses and apathetic, angry pouts illustrate a nebulous, early-morning place somewhere between SoHo, Toronto and Los Angeles. Jamaican filmmaker Storm Saulter was stirred to create his own scene of that drama, this time painted in glossy, wet color. He traveled with two cameras, his brother Niles, Claire Osman and actress Racquel Jones to Portland, Jamaica, hoping to create he says, "a moody, voyeuristic, sexy but sad," pairing for "Wicked Games." Jones' acting is unnerving and committed. Watching, you hope she won't pour her whole stash of champagne into the flower planter, and you wince when she laughs, then cries. Saulter is best known for his movie Better Mus Come, a drama exploring the cause and impact of violence in late 1970s Jamaica, an era marked by brutality and the relentless opposition of rival political parties. His less-known music video for Wayne Marshall and Mavado's "My Heart" remix is an overlooked gem.
