A drone’s maneuverability enables filmmakers to create visually rich films in a single shot. The latest example is Luke Bell’s drone music video “We Can’t Breathe.”  The two-minute movie features rapper Phehello Makgoe. Like the director and the singer, the entire crew is from South Africa. Key members are the drone pilot Bradyn Hopking, the producer Hloni Coleman, and the first AD Tristan Smith. Special mention goes to the sound mixer David Jones, who artfully combined the song with the sound of the sea. “We Can’t Breathe” won the best music video award at the Moment Invitational Film Festival.

The Singer and the Song

The lyrics for Phehello’s song—below— not only comment on the worldwide BLM movement. They also help us know the man. You can find more about this talented writer/singer at Twitter and at Instagram.

“We Can’t Breathe” Lyrics

Ever since I was a kid I had these crazy dreams
But the world tells me to think more realistically
Don’t resist, there’s no point in being optimistic
Can’t be civilian if all your civil rights are missing
We’re in the streets and we’re not asking for no damn permission
Nah – What we’re asking for is clarity
You speak of human rights then where the fuck is our humanity
We can’t breathe in this reality
What’s the price to pay for black people to live happily
Roll the dice and go straight to jail in this monopoly
I can’t breathe, my own skin has me suffocated
Guilty as charged except the charges only come later
I can’t breathe in my own skin
I can’t breathe in my own skin
You’re jogging kind of fast, you’re looking too suspicious
Don’t come any closer cause your pleas are kinda vicious
But don’t you run away either
And don’t you fight back heathen
Let’s be honest, we know how this ending
This badge and this gun give me the right to stop pretending
But don’t be alarmed these hashtags are never-ending
Your name will be great for three days because it’s trending
Nah – because is enough is enough
We can’t let any other person die in those cuffs
And we’re damned if we let this be forgotten in our lifetimes
Being black is not a crime
We’re gonna breathe in our own skin
We’re gonna fight and we’re gonna win

# # #

The editors of MobileMovieMaking have chosen “We Can’t Breathe” as the Mobile Movie of the Week.