The multi-hypenate moves front and centre in a new short film by Ignas Laugalis that showcases the emotional turmoil that comes with being under the microscope.

[TW: The clip contains scenes of blood and violence]

It’s no secret that money and fame distracts even the most resilient minds. It’s an age old story, but one that’s even more poignant in the social media age when clout is powerful social currency. In his latest short film, Sell Your Soul, director Ignas Laugalis puts the dynamic under the microscope as he enlists musician, actor and dancer Percy Chamburuka AKA Jafaris to feature in his surreal offering.

Providing an insight into the psyche of an artist on the rise, horror, dance and elements of modern music videos coalesce as Percy wrestles with the potential compromises of achieving his dreams in a world run by clout culture. The tension between reaching one’s goals and what you’ll give up to get there is put into full focus as he finds himself at the mercy of an industry that values virality over longevity.

The film opens with ‘Every N*gger Is a Star‘ from Jamaican musician Boris Gardiner, which was later sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Wesley Theory’ on To Pimp A Butterfly, his critically-acclaimed examination of race and appropriation of black art in America.

Speaking on the film Percy says, “Having met some of the people I looked up to
I can feel a genuine airiness, almost like a dark energy the deeper I get into the
industry.

I myself started to feel a sense of un-contentment, ego boost and an infatuation with praise and admiration. I can imagine the more you desire for those things that feed your ego the more you search for how to maintain them, which I believe will lead most people into a place of losing their purest self entirely, simply because the limelight is so addictive”, Percy explains.

Watch SYS below:

SYS – Short Film from Ignas Laugalis on Vimeo.

Elsewhere on District: 4 Irish Freelancers on How to Up Your Game in the Creative Industries.