Synopsis

Set in Beijing, the video follows a young street cleaner through an exhausting daily routine of sweeping roads and moving through a city that barely notices him. Away from work, he retreats into a private world shaped by indie music and record collecting. The contrast between his monotonous labor and his inner life gradually turns the ordinary into something dreamlike, capturing both the city's frenetic beauty and the quiet isolation of someone who serves the public without feeling served by society.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Serve the People" appears on *Sound Kapital*, Handsome Furs' third album, released by Sub Pop on June 28, 2011.

• The video's Beijing setting grew out of Handsome Furs' 2009 tour of China. During that trip, Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry met a film student whose perspective on the city later shaped the clip.

• The central character was based on a real acquaintance: a shy street cleaner who earned a modest living, collected records, and regularly attended indie shows by himself.

• The video's concept reflects the song's broader connection to Asia and its concern with freedom, conformity, and the distance between public service and personal fulfillment.

• The clip was released in December 2011 as part of the promotional campaign for *Sound Kapital*.

• In later interviews, Boeckner identified "Serve the People" as one of the songs that most clearly represented Handsome Furs' political concerns.