Kanye West premiered his much-discussed short film/art installation Cruel Summer
at the Cannes Film Festival last night. Starring Kid Cudi as a car
thief who falls in love with a blind Arabian princess, the clip is the
project he was reportedly working on
in the Middle East in February. The film’s cast also includes Razane
Jammal, Pusha T, Big Sean, Palestinian actor Ali Suliman, Aziz Ansari
and West himself.
As MTV points out, Cruel Summer is similar to West’s 2010 short film Runaway in that it’s an extended music video with little dialogue and plenty of striking imagery. Cruel Summer
utilizes seven screens and features completely new music from West and
his G.O.O.D. Music affiliates that will reportedly appear on an album,
also titled Cruel Summer, set for release sometime this year.
Reactions to the music have been overwhelmingly positive, with MTV
calling it “rocking” and GQ senior editor Logan Hill tweeting from the premiere that the music “was the best part – big complex production, huge beats.” The Hollywood Reporter noted multiple instances of chair-dancing in the audience.
