Strawberries Melt on the Tongue

As part of Saturday’s screening program, festival visitors had the opportunity to watch the music video for the single Mistakes by the indie-rock band Midnight Swimmers. This video is not merely an illustration of the song, but also engages with it in a dialogue, using its own artistic language without forcing only one possible interpretation onto the audience.

The single Mistakes deals with contemporary issues such as OnlyFans, pornography addiction, and parasocial relationships. The lyrics are written from the perspective of an adolescent who falls in love with one of the creators on OnlyFans, while the song simultaneously questions him: “Does that black rectangle keep you engaged for a day or two?” The melody is monotonous, as is the singer’s intonation, pulling the listener into a trance-like state. This effect is deepened by the music video, which also deconstructs the original framework. In the video, the man is the creator, and the woman his subscriber. 

A recurring motif throughout the video is a long ribbon with a traditional floral pattern. This object connects the two main characters: we first see it in the man’s mouth, from here it snakes its way to the woman, who willingly entangles herself in it. The ribbon becomes the primary medium of communication between them. They are never shown together in a single shot, and so their only way of interacting is by pulling at one another via this object. 

Another key motif is strawberries, a fairly well-established symbol of sexuality. The woman first prepares the red fruit with white icing and whipped cream, then brings it to the man, who consumes it in a suggestive manner. These shots are the boldest moments of the video; otherwise, it remainsrelatively modest, using a lyrical rather than raw or naturalistic perspective on the subject. 

This lyrical atmosphere is further enhanced by the use of colour. Many of the shots, especially those made outdoors, evoke a dreamlike world. They are intentionally blurred and out of focus, as if the characters are losing touch with reality or living within their own illusions. The opening sequence stands apart: it appears to take place in a studio and technically resembles a video from an unspecified erotic platform. 

author: Lukáš Hladík