Roman Wróblewski – Big Hug (Video)

Longing for closeness intimacy during the pandemic – a new music video by Roman
Wróblewski.

The video was produced in the post-industrial setting of the Companhia União
Fabril (CUF) industrial park in Barreiro, Portugal. The preparation process, including shooting, took
more than a year and was interrupted twice by restrictions caused by the prevailing Covid_19
pandemic.

Lucília Raimundo, a Mozambican-born dancer and choreographer who has worked with many
theatres in Portugal and Europe for over 15 years, is responsible for the choreography. The second
dancer in the video is Carolina Carloto, a talented Portuguese artist of the young generation.
Initially, the movements and gestures were meant to tell a story about love and the fear of losing
someone close. However, with the proliferation of Covid_19, and the resulting increasing
restrictions on social distance and uncertainty, the idea for the choreography naturally evolved into
a story about the uniqueness of the times in which we live.

The video was directed and shot by Andre Abrantini, a Portuguese director who is also the author
of the second video clip to Roman Wróblewski’s music, “Jump”. While working on “Big Hug”, Andre
decided to use black and white imagery, emphasising the opposition of the main characters. This
apt artistic move also highlighted the contrasts and shapes of the unique post-industrial setting and
works wonderfully with the poignant melody played in the low register of the piano.

The location of the video also plays an extremely important role in the image. With the help of the
Pada Studios residency centre and courtesy of Baia do Tejo company, the artists had the unique
grounds of an industrial park in Barreiro at their disposal. This park, closed after the 1974
revolution, was one of the largest complexes of its kind in early 20th century Europe, employing
nearly 10,000 people in its heyday. The dilapidated buildings and vast areas of factory waste,
together with Lucília Raimundo’s emotive choreography, complement Roman Wróblewski’s music
to create a moving work that tells a story, full of longing for a simple hug.

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