Amidst a continent-wide lockdown spreading across Europe, Yemeni-American artist Ibi Ibrahim finds himself unable to return to his hometown of Sana’a, a feeling many international travellers can deeply empathize with. Despite this geographical limitation, Ibi Ibrahim and his band partner — Berlin-based producer Hanno Stecher — have been quite busy, channeling the emotional influences of lockdown into a new body of work that’s set to be the band’s first new release in over three years.
Following up the debut single ‘Ana Mashi’ from their upcoming project, currently informally dubbed as the band’s “Spring Sessions”, ‘Film Faransi’ is a soft synth-pop-tinged tune with deep roots in the nostalgic musical spirit of the late eighties/early nineties.
The melancholic and dream-like music video brings onboard Iraqi-Canadian filmmaker Hala Alsalman, rising Iraqi actress Zahraa Ghandour (of ‘The Journey’ and ‘Baghdad In My Shadow’), and Iraqi-American cinematographer Tarek Turkey, who filmed the entire production while stranded in Istanbul. This forlorn homesickness melds perfectly with ‘Film Faransi’ smooth instrumentation and Ibi Ibrahims intimate, soulful lamentations on a forlorn and lost love.
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