Japanese-English singer, songwriter, producer, and multidisciplinary artist Saïna premieres her new short film “Hotel 555.” Written and co-produced by the artist herself, the cinematic visual accompaniment arrives following the release of her EP of the same name.
Shot across Tokyo with a small crew, the film is set in the liminal space between death and rebirth, imagining the hotel as a place of anonymity and transformation where guests can step beyond the boundaries of their everyday selves. Moving between private spaces and the rush of Tokyo, the film explores escapism and asks what happens when the things turned to for comfort begin to keep us from ourselves. As fleeting encounters leave Saïna unfulfilled and dreams offer the intimacy missing from waking life, she eventually confronts her shadow, a version of herself embodying the feelings and truths she has avoided.
Drawing influence from Wong Kar-wai’s use of colour and atmosphere alongside the unsettling surrealism of Gaspar Noé, Saïna developed the film’s score alongside the edit, allowing sound and image to shape one another. Edited by Myth Shah with colour grading by Anna Bursukova, the project weaves songs from the EP with low-frequency textures and backing vocals that express unspoken thoughts.
Speaking on the film, Saïna shares, “A year of planning, a year of making. HOTEL 555 is the hardest and best thing I’ve set myself. We went fully guerrilla, shooting included, and it only happened because of the team around me. This is my story of dreams, escapism, facing my shadow and finding the light.”
Reflecting on the overarching project, she adds, “Hotel 555 has been my biggest leap of faith yet. A concoction of genres, emotions, stories – both visual and audible. It was the project that I was told I was “too ambitious” and I had “good problems”. I want to take you into my internal world of thoughts and shadows, brokenness and healing; and ask the question yourself: is escapism your friend or your enemy?”
A BRIT School alum, Saïna brings a distinct perspective to her work across sound and image, drawing on her heritage while moving freely between disciplines. Alongside her solo releases, she has appeared in campaigns for Adidas and Samsung and toured internationally as one half of DJ duo ZEE-2.
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Hotel 555 is out now: https://share.amuse.io/album/saina-hotel-555
