‘wait on me’ is a dark love story set in a dystopian Tehran, Iran, inspired by American science fiction films, retrofuturistic comic books, and slasher films of the late 20th century. Through a modern retelling of 1984-esque dystopian stories that are familiar to western audiences, the narrative pays homage to the real life Iranian couple who were arrested and sentenced to 10 years in jail for a published video of the two dancing in front of Tehran's Freedom tower, as an act of defiance within the recent and ongoing protest movements. The star crossed lovers in our story, portrayed by KIANA and Lou Celestino, the singers of the dark R&B track, find themselves jailed in a dystopian prison in Tehran. Visions of a free past with her lover haunt KIANA, as Lou longs for their lost love. In a final sequence referencing real life reported conditions in Iranian detention centre, the prison guard makes a sexual advance on KIANA, as she sees an opportunity to turn on him and break free.
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KIANA & LOU CELESTINO - WAIT ON ME

[ MUSIC VIDEO ]

DIRECTOR, EDITOR

‘wait on me’ is a dark love story set in a dystopian Tehran, Iran, inspired by American science fiction films, retrofuturistic comic books, and slasher films of the late 20th century. Through a modern retelling of 1984-esque dystopian stories that are familiar to western audiences, the narrative pays homage to the real life Iranian couple who were arrested and sentenced to 10 years in jail for a published video of the two dancing in front of Tehran's Freedom tower, as an act of defiance within the recent and ongoing protest movements. 

The star crossed lovers in our story, portrayed by KIANA and Lou Celestino, the singers of the dark R&B track, find themselves jailed in a dystopian prison in Tehran. Visions of a free past with her lover haunt KIANA, as Lou longs for their lost love. In a final sequence referencing real life reported conditions in Iranian detention centre, the prison guard makes a sexual advance on KIANA, as she sees an opportunity to turn on him and break free.

This video was created thanks to the generous support of the MVP Project, a joint initiative of RBC Music and the Prism Prize (administered by The Canadian Academy of Cinema & Television). 

Festival Selections // Press

• Berlin Commercial July 2023 (Berlin, Germany) - Shortlist in 8 categories including Cultural Impact, Direction, Cinematography, Editing, Idea, Production Design, VFX and Costume Styling.
• Toronto International Music Video Festival November 2023 (Toronto, Canada) - Official Selection
• Beyond The Short October 2023 (Online Feature)
• Billboard November 2023 (Online Feature)
• Notion September 2023 (Online Feature)
• Earmilk September 2023 (Online Feature)
• Occhi Magazine September 2023 (Online Feature)
• Remixd Magazine September 2023 (Online Feature)
• Retrospective of Jupiter October 2023 (Online Feature)
• Trinity Square Video July 2023 Music Video Screening Program (Toronto, Canada) - Official Selection