It is rare to see a music video that captures the spirit of a song without becoming a slave to it. Yet such is the case with the video for Iska Dhaaf’s song “Happiness,” directed by Stephan Gray. The video, like the two-piece band, is at once simple—shot almost entirely in black-and-white—and emotionally complex, delving into issues of alcoholism, suicide, and death while the band sings “We will erase the slavery and hatred . . . To control the past is to control your future.” Gray does wonders with a limited palette, including a few underwater and in-car scenes. His power is in his use of overt symbols—a clear nod to Ingmar Bergman—and his deft editing, which has become the trademark of the up-and-coming director (who won the director’s prize at this year’s Sync Music Video Festival). The end result is an unlikely catharsis in less than five minutes. iskadhaaf.com, graymatterproductions.com

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