Unbind
Year
'22
Client
The Aftr
Service
Video & Production
Unbind is a music video shot in Iceland for my music project The Aftr.
© Unbind
Problem
Unbind is a music video exploring how visitors can unintentionally disregard fragile environments. In Iceland, rising tourism and off-trail movement have caused lasting damage to sensitive landscapes such as moss fields and geothermal terrain—ecosystems that can take decades to recover. These small moments of contact accumulate into long-term ecological impact, framed here as a symbolic “curse” formed through repeated disregard.
Research
We observed repeated cases of high-profile visitors and production crews filming in restricted or ecologically sensitive areas, revealing a broader pattern of environmental boundary violations. This shaped the idea of treating impact not as isolated events, but as an accumulating symbolic “curse.”
We explored ritual and symbolism as frameworks for awareness and restraint rather than belief systems. In Norse folklore, themes of binding and unbinding led us to the Algiz rune, a protective form resembling raised arms or antlers. In Unbind, it functions as a recurring motif of protection, awareness, and harm prevention.
The audience includes travelers to Icelandic landscapes, as well as ourselves as creators reflecting on responsible documentation of fragile environments.
Process
Using the Algiz rune and the duality of light and shadow, Unbind was shaped within Iceland as both setting and symbol.
The video was first laid out on Figma as a story board. Then from fragments of terrain, weather, sound, and movement, I developed a storyboard rooted in moss, mountains, and silence.
Sound emerged first, built through evolving textures and early lyrical ideas. Sound and image developed in parallel, each informing the other until they converged into a unified structure.
Challenges
The key challenge was translating an abstract symbolic framework into a grounded visual language within a fragile environment. Filming in Iceland required navigating unpredictable weather, limited access to sensitive areas, and minimizing environmental impact.
A further tension emerged between critiquing environmental disregard while working within those same spaces, requiring constant reflection. Balancing Algiz symbolism with real production constraints shaped both the ethical and creative boundaries of the project.
This was resolved by anchoring the narrative in the Algiz rune and developing sound and image in parallel, ensuring emotional and visual alignment throughout.
Result
Unbind became both a completed music video and a reflective framework for how we approach filming in sensitive environments.
The project reframed our creative process, reinforcing a more intentional and responsible approach to documenting place, symbolism, and landscape.
Binx Le Fae
New Year