Seafret Atlantis Music Video Explained

When I first came across Seafret, they reminded me of 90s Coldplay. Coldplay at it's peak made songs that resonated with us strongly. They created simple stories through their music videos but presented them with elaborate concept ideas and narrative themes. I genuinely feel that Seafret could become that band for the new generation. I usually find songs while browsing YouTube, late at night. I came across Atlantis, and it was the perfect song to play on a loop for weeks. Atlantis is a very special song for me. It makes you feel nostalgic for a place you've never been to.

The Setting: War and Destruction

The story starts in a war-torn city. There's broken pieces of concrete and rubble everywhere. The streets are lit up with small fires. A kid has fallen unconscious in the middle of nowhere.

A man picks the kid up and carries him outside the wreckage. Away from all the trouble. This man is not his father or an older brother. They are strangers. But they are stuck in the same situation so he decides to help the kid.

The Role of Fantasy in Coping with Trauma

When the kid wakes up, they are not in the destroyed city anymore. They are in a beautiful paradise. A magical world which manifests itself as a coping mechanism for the kid.

When our mind goes through extreme trauma, we imagine situations that help us deal with it. This is especially true for children. They cannot confront problems of this magnitude, so their mind creates elaborate fantasies to help them cope with it.

Symbolism of the Antelope: Guardianship and Guidance

The music only starts after the kid wakes up and he is the only person in the dream world. The man transforms into a white furry beast. This beast is an antelope. It has very distinctive antelope horns, but it's portrayed as a man wearing a furry suit. This further humanizes the antelope and makes it a companion for the kid.

Antelopes symbolize a need for a person to take action to affect the circumstances of their life. They also represent a guardian angel. The antelope is a messenger that tells you to seek help when you need it. It represents a change in your life and how you deal with things after the change has occurred. Antelope spirits manifest when you need to feel safe and there is danger around you everywhere. Making the companion an antelope, works as a great metaphor for the story.

The Journey from Ruins to Paradise

We can see that the kid is hurt. He washes his face in a lake and that's something we usually do when the danger has subsided. He is not in danger anymore. He can take some time to look after himself and relax.

Then the duo continue to walk across the magical land, through forests and mountains. In reality, they are still walking through the rubble of the destroyed city. But the kid doesn't see that because he feels safe with the guardian antelope.

Interpreting Key Visuals and Their Meanings

Then comes an underplayed disturbing scene. The kid sees an animal skull while hiking through the forest. What he's actually seeing, is a dead person.

He can't comprehend it at first but he's about to figure it out but the antelope picks him up and starts distracting him by playing with him. The dream was about to shatter but the kid holds on to it with the help of his companion for a little longer.

The Blanket of Hope

Over the period of time, they grow close to each other and the kid hugs the companion like he would hug a father figure. They start collecting wood together for the night to come.

It's night time now and they are sharing a campfire. The kid puts on an antelope costume. This signifies that he sees himself in the image of his father. They start as strangers and then become family after spending a lot of time together. If the man was his father or brother, the music video would start with the kid in an antelope costume. But that's not the case.

The kid sees a picture of an antelope couple and their baby. They are actually sitting in a shelter made by the man and the drawing is a picture of his real family. The kid asks about them, but the antelope gets sad and nods. His family did not survive the war. He's the only one left. By saving the kid, the man gets a chance at being a father once again. In fact, they both find a family in each other that they lost in the war.

The Transition from Dream to Reality

The kid then goes to sleep. He dreams of a destroyed city. The streets are filled with ash and cars are on fire. I find this very interesting because his reality becomes a dream, and his dreams become reality. The two worlds switch places. The reality starts catching up with the kid and manifests in his dreams.

Suddenly, the antelope wakes the kid up from his nightmare. They are being chased by a mob. They have torches and attack dogs. The duo are on the run in the woods, afraid for their life again. The fear comes creeping back to them.

It's morning again and they have successfully outrun the mob. They aren't running anymore. They are walking. Tired. They probably ran all night. The kid is in his own world but the man is alert. He turns back frequently to check if they're being followed.

The Significance of the Final Scenes

Out of nowhere the antelope takes an arrow in his leg. Which is a bullet in the real world. They have been found again. The kid helps the antelope up, and they start running. But this time they're not as fast. The antelope is slowing them down.

They arrive at the foot of a mountain, but the antelope can't climb it. The antelope makes the kid leave him behind and carry on forward alone. The kid is hesitant at first but he has to leave. They look behind and see no one chasing them anymore. But the mob could be back anytime.

The Impact of 'Atlantis' on Viewers

The kid leaving the antelope behind is a symbol of him waking up from the dream and accepting reality. He has to grow up too soon because of the circumstances he finds himself in. The kid climbs the mountain alone and reaches the peak. It signifies he has reached a safe place and now looks upon the magical land from above. With a newly gained perspective. Maybe the safety will only last one day but he has done everything that needs to be done for the day. All he must do now is to reflect on the day. The kid does not shed tears for the antelope because he understands he had to sacrifice the antelope, which represents his innocence.