Synopsis

An answering-machine message opens this subdued portrait of a relationship already coming apart. A young couple moves through Los Angeles in disconnected fragments, sharing rooms, streets, cars, and moments of melancholy without ever fully reconnecting. Their physical closeness contrasts with an emotional distance that remains unexplained. Intercut with stark urban imagery and shots of the natural world, the video lets gestures, pauses, and solitary movement carry the weight of the breakup, creating an elusive visual counterpart to the song's dreamy, aching atmosphere.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was initially circulated as a fan-made project. School of Seven Bells encountered it online, felt that it suited "Reappear," and adopted it as the song's official video.

• The footage was shot in Los Angeles over three days. The production deliberately used a very small crew, which helped preserve more spontaneous performances from the actors.

• The nature footage was captured separately as second-unit material rather than during the main three-day shoot.

• The widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio was chosen to emphasize the city's desolation and emotional emptiness. The visual approach was influenced by the films of Robert Altman and John Cassavetes.

• The video's creators intentionally avoid explaining why the couple drifted apart. The unanswered questions are part of its design, leaving the breakup open to interpretation rather than turning the clip into a literal narrative.

• "Reappear" appears on Ghostory, School of Seven Bells' 2012 album.