What ‘not giving in’ means to a street rascal

A quartet music group from Hackney, London just shot their new music video in the streets of Manila and the result is quite a stunner.

The story goes: in the congested slums of Manila, two boys deal with the trouble of a father who is abusing drugs, and a mother who is helpless to stop her husband’s bad habits. They run around as rascals, pick-pocketing civilians and stealing from sari-sari stores. The brothers have a tight bond, but eventually grow apart as one gets sucked into the black hole of street gangs, drugs and fighting. And the other gets sidetracked into the world of breakdance.

This is based on a true story. Inspired by the life of renowned Filipino breakdancer Ereson Catipon or B-boy Mouse, his story is the main story arc featured in the music video of Rudimental’s new single, Not Giving In.

When you first watch the video, you’re surprised that the cast, the setting, everything about it is familiar. You know these people. You know these streets. This is Manila, exactly how you experience it. No intentions to exoticize or over-beautify it; the people and the places are as real as it gets.

But the production values, off the bat, are clearly much more refined. With a range of intimate shots and soaring aerial shots that exemplify the constricted geography of Manila, and a gritty cinematography that sets the somber yet hopeful tone of the city, it is hard not to be instantly drawn to the video. Music videos like these are hard to come by, and even harder to make.

Director Josh Cole, who is friends with Mouse, wanted to dramatize his life story for the song. Mouse, who actually grew up in the slums, got involved with gangs and was thrown out of the house by the age of eight. His mom found him on the streets when he was 16, and took him to UK where he got involved with the British B-boy culture. Josh says Mouse’s life could have gone down the path of gangs in the thriving slums of Manila. But instead, he currently holds three World Champion breakdancing titles. The older brother in the music video is not real, but is illustrative of the life path that Mouse could have taken.

Josh Cole tells onepointfour.co that Tugo, one of the main actors of the story who plays the older brother, was actually cast while on location. He was spotted by the director smoking, a cheeky expression on his face. Tugo actually lives in the streets where one of the sequences was shot, while the other actor, Allen, is an incredible breakdancer recommended by Mouse himself. Josh shares that he had a hard time acting inexperienced, because he’s been dancing all his life. Mouse makes a cameo in the music video as a mentor.

It’s interesting to see also how someone from the outside, a foreigner, has portrayed the streets and culture of Manila. While the story of the music video can be shrugged off as just another rags-to-riches story, who doesn’t like to witness the sweet victory of someone who has gone over and under to achieve it?

Even more overwhelming, though, is the fact that someone else has taken such keen interest in the story of Mouse. As with the Filipino diaspora, in the waves of Filipinos who have left the country, it seems they have also brought with them their stories, and they are telling them to the world.

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Watch the video of Not Giving In by Rudimental on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9-Lwpgfd1E.