Synopsis

In a bleak California desert town, a withdrawn young man drifts through empty streets and shabby domestic spaces, largely ignored by his mother and the people around him. Played by Rory Culkin, he appears increasingly detached from the world as everyday scenes take on an unsettling, surreal quality. The video builds toward a stark and disturbing final gesture, transforming his isolation into a violent, almost dreamlike act of revolt.

Factoids & Trivia

• Rory Culkin stars as the isolated young man. The video was released in August 2013, more than a year after "I Am What I Am" first appeared on Spiritualized's 2012 album "Sweet Heart Sweet Light."

• The story was filmed in Taft, California, a small city in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Its dry streets and worn-down neighborhoods provide much of the video's oppressive atmosphere.

• The production reunited the same core creative team behind Spiritualized's "Hey Jane," including cinematographer Michael Ragen.

• The video was made as the third Spiritualized promo produced by AG Rojas' production company, following "Little Girl" and "Hey Jane."

• Its surreal treatment of alienation, neglect, and self-destruction helped establish the video as one of the darker and more unsettling music promos associated with Spiritualized's "Sweet Heart Sweet Light" era.