Flobots - The Circle In The Square

What this video is

Released July 11, 2012 as the sole single from Flobots' third album on Shanachie Records, this video arrives at the peak of Occupy Wall Street's cultural aftershock and in the immediate wake of the Arab Spring — movements the band explicitly referenced. MC Jonny 5 identified 'the circle in the square' as invoking the community circle formed in Cairo's Tahrir Square, framing the song as an invitation to cross…

Why it matters

Represents a critical moment in activist alternative hip-hop's transition from major-label (Universal Republic) to independent infrastructure (Shanachie), demonstrating how politically committed acts maintained output and visual identity outside the mainstream. The rapid-cut documentary aesthetic…

The director

Award-winning director, cinematographer, and co-founder of Endless Eye production studio in Los Angeles. Born and raised in North Dakota; earned BA in Film from Columbia College Chicago. Began career directing music videos in Chicago. Alumnus of Werner…