Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Kari Kirkland
Duration: 4:10
When creating this collage video, it was very tempting for me to try to make more of a political statement. The opportunity to create a literal translation of the lyrics was obvious. In the end, I chose to steer away from that angle, because frankly, I think we're all pretty weary from the onslaught of "breaking news" almost every hour. I wanted to provide a ray of hope through all the misery and challenge that everyone is going through in their own way. I considered the idea that "ruling the world" can be a very modest thing; everyone has their own unique challenges, and is working toward their own short and long-term goals. A child's ability to rule their world can include the freedom to splash through the puddles, celebrating a birthday, or learning to ride a bike without training wheels, whereas adults' versions sometimes become a bit more emotionally complex. Most outstanding in my mind was the idea that almost everyone has their own personal version and scale of success, separate from society's.