In the thematic music video for her song ‘Seven Sisters’, singer, lyricist, composer, and producer Chun Yun Rainbow Chan looks into her ancestry to the ways of the Weitou people and the ‘bridal lament’ of the women yearning to be free of marriages they can’t escape.
Directed by Anne Berry, Creative Director and Lead Editor at the Hong Kong based boutique marketing and media production company Capsule48, ‘Seven Sisters’ combines the traditional with the modern and contemporary as the ‘Bride’ played by Rainbow (her stage name), sings her own version of a modern-day bridal lament.
The music video is based on the stage play The Bridal Lament (哭嫁歌) where Rainbow demonstrates the various practices young brides took on their way to marriage; putting on the traditional red Qun Kwa, veiling themselves, and eventually being lifted into the carriage that would ultimately take them away from their families and homes for good. The Weitou who are documented as the indigenous people of Hong Kong, was a traditionally patriarchal society, and as with every ancient (and modern) society, young girls and women had very little to no say in determining their destinies. Marriages were arranged for daughters to men not of their choosing or even knowledge, and for the Weitou women, the only way they had to speak out in objection was through their ‘Bridal Laments’; songs in a dialect of the Weitou language completely their own, passed down from mother to daughter, aunt to niece. Not understood by the men.
Born in Hong Kong before her family emigrated to Australia, Rainbow feels a special calling to honor these women of whom she is a descendant of through her mother. She spent five years researching and learning the language from elders still alive in the city – some of whom can be seen at the end of the music video – preparing the play and eventually the music video which screened as part of the 2024 SXSW Music Festival.
In my interview with Rainbow and Anne we discussed creating the visual identity of the film that borders between the old dark passageway of traditional Hong Kong homes and the new of Hong Kong famous city streets lit up with their trademark halogen signs. We spoke of Anne being inspired by the music and lyrics of ‘Seven Sisters’, and Rainbow’s journey learning about the Weitou, paying homage to her elders, and what the Bridal Lament means to her and her mother.
Rainbow is a multi-disciplinary performer and filmmaker who’s won multiple awards for her work. She’s performed at world renowned venues such as the Sydney Opera House, composed scores for film and TV, and her documentary Songs from a Walled Village was a finalist in the 2021 Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union Prizes.
Carolyn Hinds
Freelance Critic, Journalist & Podcaster
African American Film Critics Association Member, Tomatometer-Approved Critic
Co-Host & Producer So Here’s What Happened! Podcast
Bylines at http://Authory.com/CarolynHinds
Twitter & Instagram: @CarrieCnh12
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