By Last month, Donald Glover (Community) released a mysterious trailer without context for a project called Clapping for the Wrong Reasons. Last week, it was revealed that the project was a short film written by Glover and directed by Hiro Murai, a music video director most notably known for Earl Sweatshirt’s “Chum.” With the help of a few entertainment friends (such as Chicago’s own Chance the Rapper and Stefan Ponce, Boy Meets World‘s Danielle Fishel, rappers Trinidad James, Flying Lotus, and porn star Abella Anderson), Glover and Murai created what is at times a creepy, melancholy short film that blurs the line between fiction and reality.
If it had to be categorized, Clapping for the Wrong Reasons would fall under the “mumblecore” genre, a film subgenre that hasn’t been received with the best acclaim from us here at Flixist. However, there’s something carefree and lackadaisical that helps the short film; I’m aware that the term tends to carry a negative connotation, but that sense of apathy is one of the bigger themes in the short. On the technical side, it was shot entirely on film, which further accentuates the overall tone.
Watch Clapping for the Wrong Reasons, revel in the fact that Glover will continue performing in front of a camera outside of his shortened season on Community, and marvel at the image of Stefan’s hair bouncing as he dances in a full silhouette.
[via Ruby Hornet]