The Shins - Saint Simon

What this video is

Released in 2004, this video arrives at the height of The Shins' cultural ascent, catalyzed by their inclusion on the Garden State soundtrack (also 2004). 'Saint Simon,' drawn from Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop, Oct 2003), was already critically acclaimed—Pitchfork awarded the album 'Best New Music.' Fitzgerald's decision to foreground the monarch butterfly migration as the video's sole visual subject aligns with a…

Why it matters

Represents a high-water mark of the concept-documentary hybrid in indie rock music video production. By replacing performance footage entirely with wildlife cinematography, Fitzgerald and The Shins pushed the music video form toward pure visual poetry, a move consistent with Sub Pop's artistic…

The director

Director and editor born in Vietnam, raised in the United States from age three. Attended the Vancouver Film School in British Columbia, Canada, majoring in Film Production. Worked across Texas, New York, and Oregon at companies including Dallas' Easy Way…