Synopsis

The video uses the musical sequence from Lars von Trier's film "Dancer in the Dark." Bjork plays Selma, a factory worker whose failing eyesight shapes her limited view of the world. As she travels along a railway line, ordinary industrial sounds transform into an elaborate song about whether she has truly experienced everything worth seeing. Peter Stormare appears in the film version as Selma's companion, while the soundtrack version replaces his vocals with Thom Yorke's. The sequence balances carefree fantasy with the film's underlying tragedy.

Factoids & Trivia

• The commonly circulated video is an excerpt from "Dancer in the Dark," rather than a separate narrative production made around the Thom Yorke recording.

• The voices differ between versions. Peter Stormare performs the male part in the film, while Thom Yorke sings it with Bjork on the "Selmasongs" soundtrack.

• Bjork co-wrote the song with Sjon and Lars von Trier. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song after appearing in the film.

• The song's musical arrangement grows out of railway and factory noises, reflecting the film's idea that Selma hears potential rhythms in the machinery around her.

• The film's musical numbers were recorded using more than 100 digital cameras at once. This allowed the filmmakers to capture many viewpoints during a single performance and later assemble the energetic edits.

• A second video was produced as an interactive MTV "webeo." Viewers could click through different scenes and effects, making it an early example of an online music video designed around audience interaction.