Ma Maison - Oui Oui

What this video is

Released in 1990, 'Ma Maison' ('My House') emerged from the French indie pop underground at a moment when Oui Oui were consciously reacting against the coldness of French cold wave and the politicisation of rock. The band, formed in 1983, occupied a niche of playful, melodic, art-school pop. The video predates Gondry's commercial breakthrough by three years and documents his proto-surrealist visual language in…

Why it matters

A foundational artefact of French indie pop music video history and a primary document in the early career of Michel Gondry. Predating his Björk collaborations, this clip demonstrates that Gondry's signature aesthetic — surrealist warmth, tactile craft, rhythmic montage — was fully nascent in…

The director

French filmmaker born 1964 in Versailles. Drummer and co-founder of Oui Oui; began directing career with the band's music videos. His Oui Oui clips caught Björk's attention, leading to her 'Human Behaviour' video (1993). Went on to direct landmark music…