Fountains: A quick look into Ipeleng Mvumvu’s One-Take short film

Feb 5
3 min read

Updated: Feb 15

Just watched “Fountains” — a one-take short film directed by Ipeleng Mvumvu for South African singer-songwriter Marcus Harvey. On screen, Marcus is joined by model Tracy Mokgopo.

And of course, after absorbing the film, curious me had a few questions for Ipeleng. First, I wanted to know what made her choose the one-take approach for this project as opposed to a traditional music video with a million cuts. She explained: “The one-take wasn’t a technical flex, it was an emotional decision. Fountains lives in a very fragile, intimate space, and I didn’t want anything to interrupt that truth. Cutting shots felt dishonest to the feeling of the song and how it makes me feel.

A single take allows the emotion to breathe without interruption. There’s no escape for the characters, and no escape for the audience either; you’re asked to stay, to witness, to feel the weight and tenderness of the moment as it unfolds in real time. That presence felt essential to honoring Marcus’ music and the quiet intensity of the story.”

I was also curious about how she actually directed Marcus and Tracy within such a demanding structure, and her answer revealed just how intentional — and human — the making of this film was: “The process was rooted in trust and deep preparation. The day before the shoot, we ran a full technical rehearsal with the entire crew — camera, 1st AD, and wardrobe — so everyone could move together with ease within the one-take structure. Within that framework, we focused on emotional beats more than blocking; I wasn’t interested in perfection, I wanted truth.

By the time we shot, Marcus and Tracey weren’t ‘hitting marks’; they were fully inside the moment. During each take I was listening closely, shaping rhythm, and holding the emotional arc, while giving them the space and safety to respond truthfully within a clear, intentional framework.”

You frame the work as a “film” rather than a music video — can you speak to that choice? I ask because most audiences would instinctively call this a music video, but you clearly position it differently: “The relationship between the film and Marcus’ music is deeply intertwined; neither exists in isolation here. From the beginning, we approached this as a true collaboration. Marcus shared the original stems of the composition, which allowed us to reshape the music specifically for the emotional architecture of the film.

We rearranged the score to move with the story, adding reverb, creating moments where lyrics fall away and only melody and feeling remain. At times it’s just piano, breath, and silence, and then it gradually builds as the emotional weight of the film builds. The music isn’t illustrating the film; it’s breathing with it.

I call Fountains a film because it was conceived and built as one. We wrote a script, crafted dialogue, developed character and pacing, and were intentional about silence and restraint. The music and the narrative hold equal weight — they meet in the middle.

...Calling it a film gives the work permission to be experienced slowly and emotionally, rather than consumed quickly, while still honoring the integrity and soul of the music that carries it.”

All in all, the pacing on this film is 'pure gold'. Marcus’s voice moves the film forward with a gentle, assured calm and Tracy’s presence feels effortless, almost unscripted - quietly magnetic rather than glaringly performative. The film is eye-watering, fresh, and deeply cinematic — a reminder of what can happen when a musician commits to thoughtful, considered visuals rather than treating a music video (or in this case, a one-take short film) as an afterthought.

If you haven’t seen it yet.