Synopsis

Michelle Williams plays a solitary traveler moving through airports, airplane cabins, and hazy landscapes in search of an undefined destination. She watches the world pass beyond the plane window, surrounded by fleeting images of palm trees, swimming pools, flamingos, and open skies. Her journey eventually leads to Niagara Falls, where the video's dreamlike travelogue reaches its emotional release. Williams' reflective voiceover, drawn from Iris Murdoch's novel "A Word Child," adds a literary, introspective layer to Wild Nothing's wistful synth-pop atmosphere.

Factoids & Trivia

• Michelle Williams chose "Paradise" from three Wild Nothing songs that had been proposed for a video.

• The video uses a new edit of the song, with Williams' spoken passage placed over the track's quieter breakdown.

• Williams reads from Iris Murdoch's 1975 novel "A Word Child." Jack Tatum recorded the narration with her at Brooklyn's Rare Book Room, where the album "Nocturne" was also recorded.

• The footage was shot on Japanese Harinezumi cameras, whose lo-fi image quality contributes to the video's faded, nostalgic appearance.

• The production traveled through Los Angeles, New York, Sint Maarten, and Niagara Falls.

• The video's use of a prominent film actress brought unusual attention to Wild Nothing. Tatum later said he initially felt uncertain about placing such a recognizable figure at the center of the project, although he was ultimately pleased with the result.

• Released on October 23, 2012, the video accompanied "Paradise," a track from Wild Nothing's second album, "Nocturne."