Synopsis
A young man journeys through vast, dreamlike landscapes while a woman waits for him at the other end of an emotional and physical separation. Their parallel experiences turn the video into a romantic travelogue, moving between natural beauty, solitary moments, and hints of reunion. The imagery gives the song's longing a cinematic scale, presenting love as a force capable of closing the distance between two people, even when they remain apart for much of the story.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Oostende" was released as a promotional video for Keep Shelly in Athens' debut album, "At Home," which came out through Cascine in 2013.
- Contemporary coverage described the video as a story about romance, distance, and the beauty of nature. Another description characterized its central narrative as a young man trying to return to a woman waiting for him.
- The visual style was created by Feel Good Lost, with the same team handling the shooting and editing. The production credits list Brendan Canty and Alan O'Gorman as the writers of the piece.
- Ruben Lefever and Aveen Kinsella appear as the two principal performers.
- The dreamlike atmosphere was enhanced by visual effects from Steve Mac Devitt.
- The song's themes of travel, separation, and reunion closely match the video's use of movement and wide outdoor settings. The train journey functions as a visual counterpart to the song's desire to shorten the distance between two people.
- The video arrived during the promotional campaign for "At Home," an album often associated with homesickness, displacement, and the search for a sense of home.