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Paying homage to one of the most distinctive directors of modern times, Bahrain’s creatives have been documenting the kingdom’s symmetrical spots and quirky characters as they participate in the #WesAnderson trend taking social media by storm.
The trend began around the world last month, when a user posted a video of herself riding a train, shot in the style of a Wes Anderson film, and it quickly went viral. Within days, thousands of users, created their own Wes Anderson-inspired videos, including Bahrain-based creatives Mohammed Talha (IG: @xaxo.jpg), Angela Acosta (IG: @aaangela.a) and Bader Altaranja (@baderaltaranja).
“I think it would be surprising to find any creative artist who is unfamiliar with the renowned director,” Mohammed, a 29-year-old Bahraini marketing strategist, told GulfWeekly.
“Beyond his direction and portrayal of the story, Wes’ consistent style of showcasing each character with symmetrically perfect imagery and an intense attention to every detail is an amazing source of inspiration.
“I’ve been seeing the trend all over my feed by creators from all around the world but Bahrain. Hence, I saw it fitting to create a few concepts to represent my home, among which The Lost Tourist was my absolute favourite.”
Symmetrical framing of objects and characters, whimsical music creating a dreamlike atmosphere and quirky characters with unusual personalities and habits are the hallmarks of these videos.
In concept, The Lost Tourist is simple – Mohammed’s friend Hana (IG: @lensofamisfit) plays a woman trying to find her way around the Pearling Path in Muharraq, but it’s the style that distinctly stands out and pays homage to the 54-year-old American director.
Three key things about Wes have been growing in prominence in Wes’ films since his directoral debut with the 1996 Bottle Rocket. Since then, his most popular films have included Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch and The Grand Budapest Hotel, which also happens to be Mohammed’s favourite.
Angela’s short clip, also shot in Muharraq, takes the dreamlike atmosphere one step further with yellow hues and is centred on the afternoon she spent with her friend Debbi Francisco during the first day of Eid.
Her own personal favourite of Wes’ films is The Royal Tenenbaums, enjoying his creative direction and styling, but acknowledging that sometimes that comes at the cost of the story.
“I first watched The Royal Tenenbaums on the television when I was really young,” the 26-year-old content and marketing executive added.
“I really liked how he seems to portray humans and society the way they really are – or at least feel to be. Although sometimes I feel like some of his movies are too focused on the visuals rather than the storytelling.”
Meanwhile, Bader has always had a love for symmetrical angles and straight faces in photos, so finding a way to pay homage to the auteur director whose entire visual identity is centred on the two ideas was simply synchronicity.
With family epics like Fantastic Mr Fox and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou being Bader’s favourite Wes movie, he decided to capture a bit of his own family’s Eid traditions.
“I stumbled upon the trend before it went viral, so I thought it’s perfect to capture Eid moments with my family,” the 32-year-old commercial director explained.
“Especially since I always capture their shots with straight faces – I don’t know – it’s just a thing I do!”
The #WesAnderson trend continues to gain steam, with major organisations including the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) as well as Saudi Airlines releasing videos in the vein of the popular director.
