Paul Thomas Anderson Re-Teams With Haim for a Music Video Visit to Tarantino’s Own Movie Theater
The sisterly trio Haim are back after a nearly two-year hiatus from making new music, and they’ve got a brand-new music video shot by their frequent filmmaking collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson to prove it. Following past videos for their songs “Right Now,” “Little of Your Love,” and “Night So Long,” the foursome are back together for another winsome look at life in Los Angeles in the form of a fresh video for “Summer Girl.”
This one even includes a cinephilic crossover for the ages: as the trio stroll around Los Angeles and literally shed the seasons (it is “Summer Girl,” after all), they spend some time at a number of LA landmarks, including the Quentin Tarantino-owned New Beverly Cinema on Beverly Boulevard.
Despite the zippy and warm nature of the song, it apparently was inspired by serious personal upheaval. As Pitchfork reports, in a press release, Danielle Haim wrote of its genesis: “I started the song when I found out my partner had cancer. I was on tour and felt like I was trying to send positive energy his way almost telepathically. Whenever I would come home in between shows I wanted to be his sunshine — his summer when he was feeling dark. His hope when he was feeling hopeless.”
In addition to the videos for their previous music video collabs, Anderson also directed a 16 minute-short featuring the band called “Valentine” in 2017, which he later screened on 35mm (cinema!). In 2018, he even directed the group’s Coachella performance, which saw them opening for no less than Beyonce.
Unlike other filmmakers who have made the jump from music videos to feature filmmaking, Anderson’s music video career has always intertwined with his film career. His first video arrived in 1997 with Michael Penn’s “Try,” just a year after his breakout directorial debut “Hard Eight.” The filmmaker has also enjoyed collaborations with artists like Fiona Apple, Joanna Newsom, and Radiohead, in addition to his long-standing bond with Haim.
“Summer Girl” is the first new song by the Haim sisters since 2017’s “Something to Tell You.” Check out the music video for “Summer Girl,” directed by apparent Haim surrogate sibling Paul Thomas Anderson, below.
