GUN

The endless cycles of violence

Directed by Lado Kvataniya

In this impactful music video for GUN, director, Lado Kvataniya, collaborates with singer-songwriter, Manizha Sanghin, to craft a powerful and metaphoric visual narrative, about the endless cycles of violence in our world today. Originally inspired by the song’s origins a decade ago as a response to the Tajikistan conflict, the video finds relevance in the context of current ongoing global unrest.

Kvataniya moves away from literal storytelling for the video, opting instead for powerful symbolic imagery to convey a universal message of war and division. “Art creates a temporary sanctuary where individuals can find solace”, he says. By transcending cultural boundaries, GUN delivers a strong, unfiltered message of unity and hope, even in the face of adversity.

The video for GUN portrays a powerful metaphor of neighbours in conflict over a concrete wall. How did you decide on this visual metaphor, and what was the process of translating the song's themes of division and conflict into this specific narrative? 

The story took time to develop, while the visual concept emerged quickly. Currently, there are over 110 active military conflicts worldwide. I aimed to create a visual metaphor that is universally understandable. My intention was to communicate openly and clearly to people from diverse cultures and social backgrounds, avoiding a storyline that would only resonate with a select group. As the metaphor of divided spaces emerged, I expanded the theme to show that the story isn’t merely about neighbours across a wall. As the story unfolds, we realise that the space between the walls represents an endless well of violence, without a clear beginning or end, connecting a multitude of wars. The neighbors may not be fighting each other, their confrontation is created through editing. Instead, they might be contending with different adversaries.  When children on each side start dismantling the wall, it seems they are about to meet, yet they only discover the wall's back side—a bottomless well of hatred.

The music track conveys its message, while the video delivers another. The song explores the theme of weapons and provides a specific context,  but I didn’t want to portray it literally. Perhaps the only direct visual reference to the song is the juxtaposition of the doll and the toy car, which visually connects children’s toys to weapons. My goal was to use a simple metaphor to globalize the existing issue, aiming to engage as many viewers as possible with the overarching theme. I aimed for our message to resonate emotionally while remaining easily accessible. 

Could you elaborate on your collaborative process with Manizha Sanghin? How did her personal experience with the civil war influence the visual direction of the music video? Did you encounter any specific challenges during your collaboration? 

Ten years ago, Manizha began writing the song GUN, dedicating it to the war in her homeland of Tajikistan. With the onset of military actions in Ukraine and Gaza, she resumed working on it. No one chose the time and place, but today, the song GUN resonates with the era we all find ourselves in.

My personal experience and my wife, Manizha, have been surprisingly similar. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, several republics sought independence, which led to numerous military conflicts. In 1992, the Georgian-Abkhaz war began, forcing me to leave my homeland, Georgia. That same year, a civil war erupted in Tajikistan, Manizha's homeland, which also made her a refugee in Russia. When we met and shared our stories, we were struck by these parallels. 

These circumstances have significantly influenced my career as a director and Manizha's journey as an artist. In her work, Manizha continually explores themes of war, migration, and the lives of those affected by various hardships. She is highly socially active, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency and leading the Silsila Foundation, which supports victims of domestic violence.

We clearly distinguish between our roles as husband and wife and our artistic collaboration, with her as the artist and musician and me as the director. While the artist collaborates with me on shaping the video concept, I maintain control over the story itself, as it is my personal space to express a particular idea. Initially, I conduct a brief interview with the artist to identify critical themes or images. However, my final proposal often diverges from that initial conversation, even though it is inspired by it. Manizha fully trusts me as the director. After presenting her with the concept, we went through several iterations together. Our goal was to convey a sense of hope amid the dark world around us. We sought an ending that included overwhelming statistics—numbers reflecting a world consumed by war—and a message calling for unity.

The final of our work may seem somewhat naïve to some, but our intention was to present what is urgently needed right now. At the very least, I strongly desire clear and fundamental messages that carry a sense of hope. The chaos of war and horror in the world is overwhelming, and we don’t want to add to it. Living in a state of perpetual darkness is unbearable. Our goal was to shine a light of hope amidst the darkness.

Given that GUN is inspired by a historical conflict and resonates with ongoing global issues, how did you ensure that the music video comments on the wider significance of these conflicts?

I created a small, compressed world to depict the madness that surrounds us globally. The story revolves around two neighbours separated by a wall, but the issue is much broader. According to various sources, 110 armed conflicts are currently happening worldwide. The idea emerged that behind this wall exists a bottomless well, like a portal connecting similar feuding rooms.

Originally, the plan was to end the story with the children walking toward the hole in the wall — leaving the viewer to imagine that the children are embarking on an endless journey through many rooms in the tunnel, seeking to reconcile and save the adults. However, the idea of creating a final collective portrait of the characters emerged spontaneously during the filming process. In the end, we see a collective portrait of all the inhabitants of both spaces, representing different ethnicities, cultures, and age groups. Nothing separates them anymore; their faces are turned towards the viewer, and they are united.

The ending is, of course, a fairy tale. In reality, no adult will stop the madness they commit. But children don't see the wall; they look through it and see each other. They unite to neutralize the conflict without dividing by skin color, nationality, religion, or identity. We should learn this from children.

The use of warm tones from the light creeping in and a singular set creates an intense atmosphere. Can you share with us the reasoning behind this choice of colour palette and setting to enhance the overall narrative and emotional impact of the video?

I wanted to create an image with the warmest atmosphere possible so that nothing would foreshadow the horrors of the events to come when neighbours fought to the death over the square footage of their rooms.

Despite my love for dark aesthetics, in GUN, I wanted to avoid darkness, blood, and explicit violence as much as possible. This decision was partly practical — we aimed to ensure that the work would have no age restrictions, allowing as many people of all ages to watch it.

Me and our director of photography Vladimir Ushakov, we endlessly discussed films, searched for the proper visual flow and optics, and conducted numerous tests. Given the grim nature of the theme, at one point, we discussed filming the story in black and white. However, we realized that, against the backdrop of such a dark and violent context, black-and-white imagery would become redundant. So, we opted for a counterpoint: the visuals had to be bright, saturated, and filled with light and color. The entire visual approach was built around the idea of misleading the viewer slightly so that the ending, with its contrast, would have a more substantial impact.

For example, we initially planned for the sun to shine the same way through the windows in both rooms. Then we realized that this contradicted the concept. These rooms are not literally adjacent; they could be from opposite ends of the world and the time within them could differ. So, we installed two separate light sources: in one room, the sun shone in one direction, and in the other, it shone in the opposite direction. This way, we disorient the viewer, offering one of many subtle clues.

The counterpoint also worked with the use of optics. We used Petzval portrait lenses for close-up shots — a stunning type of lens! It defocuses the space, making any light appear more pronounced and expressive. These lenses created a strong blur, which perfectly conveyed the emotional state and fatigue of the characters. For more objective storytelling, such as depicting the wall's perspective or specific actions, we used a static camera and a super-wide Signature Prime lens to show the space as stretched, sharp, distorted, and deliberately exaggerated in size.

There’s a well-known saying: if you want the drama to sound sharper, you must play it like a comedy. The mechanics of paradox allow for a deeper story, and this technique is what I employed in the visual aspect.

“The entire visual approach was built around the idea of misleading the viewer slightly so that the ending, with its contrast, would have a more substantial impact.”

Can you discuss the design of these elements such as the concrete wall and tunnel and the role of visual effects in bringing the concept to life? How did you balance practical effects with digital enhancements?

The process of bringing an idea from paper into the real world is a monstrous, grueling labor for me. In this story, I challenged myself to create within the constraints of a single space, with a moving wall as the central element. As we sketched the rooms, the production designer, Alexey Yandovsky, and I realized each room was a unique space for specific people. We were keen to integrate characteristics of different cultures into the space, ensuring it felt timeless and rich in cultural diversity. To develop the dimensions of the space, we used a low-budget method for marking. We found a space the same size as our two feuding rooms and marked it with tape and cones to understand how the space would work. This helped us determine the right wall dimensions and ceiling height. We then created a wall model out of foam to visualize how it would look to scale. After that, we designed a heavy structure on two rails - one on the floor and one above - to minimize post-production cleanup later.

It was important to create a wall structure that the actors could genuinely push from both sides with real effort. I wanted to build a tool that would allow the actors to engage their emotions by physically interacting with the wall obstacle. When a group of 10 actors pushed the wall from one side while being filmed, more than 20 people, including set designers and crew members, moved the set from the other side with great effort to create resistance, compressing the actors. This is when the actual performance and confrontation began on camera. I needed to achieve a genuine sense of exhaustion.

I admit that I did multiple takes to make sure the actors genuinely wore themselves out. They would stop "acting" and, completely exhausted, would  push against the wall. Shifting this boundary was a physically demanding task, and it was important to show that through the characters. They put in their maximum effort, displaying every bit of their strength on screen.

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In our collaboration with costume designer Anna Kudevich to develop the characters, we engage in conversations about context, theme, and image but refrain from discussing the specific costumes themselves. While working on GUN, we frequently shared photos of refugees. We aimed to gather patches from different ethnicities and time periods to ensure that the costumes referenced a particular theme while also creating a contradiction. These elements couldn't blend seamlessly in a single costume or frame. Anna gathered a wide variety of costumes and led an amazing fitting session. It was important to not only determine where the person was from and their past, but also to create a feeling of disorientation and timelessness. We wanted viewers to see our characters and not immediately pinpoint a specific military conflict or its participants based on ethnicity and external details, allowing each person to interpret the context in their own way.

It's important to mention that the pavilion where we worked had technical issues and was not ventilated. As a result, the crew worked in stifling heat of around 95°F for three days straight. After several takes, we would send the actors outside to catch their breath, but it was even hotter at around 105°F. Therefore, makeup artists barely used glycerin for sweat — the actors' exhausted state and physical limits were authentic. The air in the pavilion was literally stagnant, and we consumed an incredible amount of water. I think every member of the crew lost several pounds in that near-fainting, sauna-like environment where we worked for three days.

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I prefer a craft approach, where the viewer can sense that what they see on screen is made by human hands—perhaps not perfect, but full of life. I strive to work extensively with analog formats. Any digital technology is subject to constant development and has a limited lifespan. In a sense, modern technological progress resembles a snake eating its tail; any high-tech film from five years ago already feels outdated today. I believe that stories created in an analog, handmade, and DIY manner are more enduring.

If the budget allowed, I wanted to achieve a completely analog feel, especially in the scenes where the children are inside the wall. The walls created with CGI, along which the children descend on a rope, could have been done differently. For instance, I considered using Tim Burton's technique of physically constructing a static frame and matching the perspective precisely to create the illusion of natural objects in front of us. In our production, I aimed to execute as much as possible in an analog style, reserving CGI for elements that were beyond our budget. Initially, our walls were entirely created in CGI, but I found them unconvincing. Ultimately, we ended up using a combination of methods. Just a week before the release, I discovered some concrete walls near my home, photographed them, and then incorporated them into the perspective using CGI. In this case, the graphics worked well together.

 In a craft-oriented approach, especially in DIY projects, there is always a unique energy invested by all participants in the process—an energy that viewers can feel through the screen.

As someone with a personal history of conflict, how did your own experiences shape your direction of this music video? 

My personal experience indicates that war leaves a lasting impact on those who have endured it. While specialists can help manage post-traumatic syndrome to facilitate adaptation to a new life, the effects remain with a person for a lifetime.

While music videos, social media posts, and street campaigns cannot end a war, the voices of those who believe that war is horrific and must be halted immediately are crucial. My heroes are those who possess the talent to seek compromises through dialogue at the peace negotiation table. The modern superhero doesn't exist only in comic books; they have the power to halt tremendous global conflicts in real life.

Our story may unite people who share similar feelings. Our message is that nothing is more valuable than human life. We must adhere to the laws of modern society and avoid reverting to a distant past characterised by primitive rules, where expressing an opinion and claiming territory involves solely the use of force.

Accurate statistics, unfortunately, destroy my naive notions about this world. But that’s why works of art exist, regardless of their form—film, music, canvas. Through them, we, the creators, try to reflect the issues in society in our language and show the world as it could be. For a time, we created a somewhat idealised universe where, perhaps, everything does not happen as it does in real life. But it is important to remember that a vast number of people want to believe in such ideas, which have more significant potential and value than the endless killing and extermination of each other as a species. 

In light of the ongoing conflicts around the world, how do you hope this music video will impact viewers? What message or feeling do you want the audience to take away from it, and how do you see the role of art in addressing global issues?

No matter how naive this idea may seem to me, I believe that the role of art is to elevate the viewer above their basic instincts. In moments of contemplation and reflection, art allows us to explore possibilities for positive change in our lives. While it may serve as an escape from reality, art creates a temporary sanctuary where individuals can find solace and distance themselves from the chaos of everyday life.

As we captured the last shot on the final day of filming, I finally allowed myself to savor the moment. I told myself, "Now I can stop and look around." I confess that the final shot was captured on the first take. However, I intentionally continued to shoot take after take, simply to be in the moment with these people and to feel and remember the true joy of creativity, especially after a long period of worldwide war conflicts.

Manizha and I were worried that we might inadvertently create a precedent for conflict, mutual attacks, and accusations, resulting in an endless cycle of hatred. Luckily, we managed to create a space where viewers could come together. GUN has had a positive impact. We received numerous comments, messages, and letters. Ultimately, our work briefly brought together opposing sides. While watching our work, people may have momentarily forgotten their hatred and personal traumas or had a chance to reflect on them, possibly letting go for a moment. No matter where people come from, they all want the same thing — to end hostility, violence, and suffering.

I believe that creativity is synonymous with freedom. I am not here to judge the result of our work, but we were definitely free in our message: the world needs peace.

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Written and Directed by Lado Kvataniya

Director of Photography | Vladimir Ushakov

Produced by EVERSINCE, STEREOTACTIC, DADDY'S FILM

Producers | Pavel Karykhalin, Alexander Medvedko, Egor Solomatin,

Nadin Usmanova, Lado Kvataniya

Executive Producer | Tatyana Patrenina

1AD | KATOK

2AD | Polina Vatman

Unit Production Manager | Inshootwetrust

Producer Assistants | Nazar Kaseev, Jenya Kuptsova

Production Designer | Alexey Yandovskiy

Production Designer Assistant | Maria Gracheva

Props Master | Denis Egorov

Props On Set | Gosha Osin, Aleksandr Remizov, Ilya Makarov, Vladimir Makhukov

Construction Coordinator | Sergei Burmistrov

Art Department Best Guys | Daniil Burmistrov, Maxim Perfilov, Andrey Korolkov, Nikolay Nekrasov,

Pavel Kirichenko, Ruslan Vaguro, Nikolay Metelenko, Ivan Stepanov, Dmitry Burmistrov

Set Construction (SmartSet) | Ilia Ziumkin, Alexey Kondratyev

Set Construction Manager | Sergey Ivanov

Painters | Maria Isakova, Ivan Glushak, Alyona Korobkova, Arina Belyakova

3D Visualizer And Sketcher | Iliana Borisova

Sound Design | Liz Horsman

Sound Mixer | Mike Spencer

Song is written by Liz Horsman, George Kruglov, Manizha Sanghin

Produced and mixed by Mike Spencer

Costume Designer | Anna Kudevich, Boris Kukolkin

Assistant Costume Designer | Boris Volkov, Ines Koleskina, Violetta Frolenkova, Alexandra Vorobyova

Make Up Artist | Igor Boiko

Make Up Assistants | Darya Boyko, Mariia Maiorova, Elena Dementyeva, Mariia Briunina

Casting | Margarita Sayapina, Uliana Evdokimova

Casting Assistants | Svetlana Pakeyeva, Irina Kuzmina

Cast | Stepan Shevyakov, Alina Viktorova, Anastasiia Garmaeva, Anna Yudakova, Antonina Medvedeva, Arslan Kopush, Badma Budaev, Boris, Chingiz Turabaev,

Denis Glod, Eva Zenina, Gabriel Oganyan, Guzal' Mambetova, Irina Belysheva, Julia Bashorina, Kim, Kristina Yurasova, Valeria Li, Lilit Karapetyan,

Linz Camara, Liona Kryvenets, Makar Dubkov, Makar Saloyan, Milana Nazir, Milana Oganova, Paulina Pakeyeva, Raudas Taxma, Samual Ofori,

Sergey Nabirukhin, Sharuif Abdelkrim, Subkhoniddin Razykov, Tim Solo, Timothy Oghidi, Usuf Ozturk, Veniamin Kolobov, Viktor Bodunov,

Violetta Nersesyan, Vladimir Kasumovich, Vladimir Kopush, Vyacheslav Yurovskikh, Yuri Tarasov, Olivia Kvataniya

Choreographer | Alexandr Tronov

Second Unit Cinematographer | Alexander Matukhno

Sound Engineer on set | Eduard Eduard

Storyboard | Anton Smolkin

Post Production Producer | Ivan Malkov

Editor | Kirill Khandurin

Technical Editor | Grigorii Nikitin

Lettering and Title Design | Vladimir Ayuev

Motion Design and Cleanup | Ulyana Burykina

Visual Effects by CGF HQ

VFX Supervisor | Pavel Bezborodov

VFX Producer | Ekaterina Averina

Сompositing Supervisor | Roman Malyakov

Compositing Artists | Nikita Boldirev, Zhargal Darmaev, Alexey Volynets, Artem Chernykh, Kurban Ismailov

Matte Painting Artist | Sergei Isaenko

In/out | Stanislav Privato

CFO | Elena Kuzmina

Art Direction | Igor Klepnev

Poster Design | Sagimay Tolegen

BTS Photographer | Dasha Pocherk,Alexander Matukhno, Boris Kukolkin

Super 8 BTS Cinematographer | Vlad Netkachev

Presentation Design | Anna Lutkova

Special thanks to YourRental, Andrei Gubaidullin, Voskhod For Peace, Evgeny Kadomsky, Sher Khamraev,

Svyatoslav Kozin, Egor Shabanov, Munisa Usmanova, Todzhi Usmanov, Olivia Kvataniya