Synopsis

Set in Japan, the video follows a male sex worker whose life spirals after a violent and emotionally charged night. Leaving the neon-lit nightlife behind, he begins a journey toward the countryside and the family life he abandoned. The trip unfolds as a modern odyssey, moving between urban isolation, personal danger and memories of childhood. Japanese subtitles and handheld cinematography give the clip the atmosphere of a compact art-house film, while the song's themes of emotional dependence and self-sacrifice deepen the character's search for a way out.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Japan and centers on a subculture rarely represented in music videos: the world of male sex workers.

• Hiraku Kawakami stars as the central character. His performance carries the video almost entirely, with the band remaining absent from the narrative.

• The production took approximately five months to complete and reportedly involved numerous setbacks before the team finished the project.

• The clip was created with support from MuchFACT, the Canadian music-video funding organization.

• Its widescreen framing, Japanese subtitles and energetic handheld camerawork give "River" the structure and visual texture of a short narrative film rather than a conventional performance video.

• "River" was released in October 2013 as a video for The Belle Game's debut album, "Ritual Tradition Habit," which came out earlier that year.

• The video received a 2014 Prism Prize nomination and won the Audience Award, based on thousands of public votes.

• The song had already attracted attention as a standout track from "Ritual Tradition Habit," including recognition from Pitchfork as a "Best New Track."