"I was 20, when I listened for the very first time to the Thinkman’s ‘Hard Hat Zone’ album. The quite and slow beginning of track 5 was not preparing me to the incredibly wonderful and powerful chorus, that raised me suddenly, moving me very high away. I immediately fell in love with this song, the text and the music were so perfect to me.Some weeks later, on a ferry between France and England, a video camera in hands, I took about 30 minutes of waves patterns and of the sun over the horizon, having ‘November Whale’ in mind. During the following months, I decided to make a video mixing these two moments : the beauty of the sea and of a sunny sky combined with the beauty of the song.The only purpose I had in mind, in total respect of the work from Jeannette-Thérèse Obstoj and Rupert Hine was (to try) to show the magnificence of their proposal. I put the text in the forward and edited the pictures in crossfades following the chords and arrangements – using the so-called technique « musical editing ».For the end, I went on a gateway stepping over city fast lanes to film the blurry lights of the cars crossing the town as « blind minds » ignoring the world around. (Strangely, I recently realized that I shot these video pictures near a big hall in Lille where Rupert Hine had come, I think, to record the part with Johnny Clegg on stage of 'One World One Voice'. I guess there are no coincidences in universe...).As I was learning the job, making something professional for the very first time, it took me months to complete my editing before sending the video to Rupert. He kindly responded, explaining to me in a very nice letter which I have preciously kept, that he, too, had made some similar video pictures of water patterns in one of his musical videos.I am still really proud that he showed interest for this humble work of the young French director I was at the time, and also still so happy and grateful he let me put ‘November Whale’ online on the web.In the last years before he left us, I proposed him the project of a chained animation video on ‘The A to Z of you and me’; he wrote me that he was « happy to endorse this venture », even asking me how he could help, if needed...I sadly never met Rupert Hine. I did not have this chance. But in the few written exchanges we had along the years, I always read his kindness, generosity and curiosity in his words, and I am honoured to have crossed his life.”Bruno Follet
