Britney Spears’ Latest Instagram Is An Avant-Garde Masterwork

We wouldn’t have pegged Britney Spears as a huge fan of French nouvelle vague science fiction masterpieces, but her latest selfie video is an undeniable reference to La Jetée. While we’re certain that everyone is intimately aware of Chris Marker’s 1962 genre-exploding masterwork, we should probably offer a refresher. La Jetée is a science fiction story told, over 28 minutes, in nothing but still images and narration. The whole story is told, but the only movement is conveyed via the imagery and our own thoughts. You can watch it here. Britney Spears’ latest Instagram odyssey is basically the same thing, but instead of a haunting narration and series of images it’s her pulling goofy faces as “Don’t Worry Be Happy” plays. The subtle emotional shifts that she conveys via minor changes in facial expression cause us to challenge the very concepts of worry and happiness. What does it mean to be worried in an atomic age? What does it mean to be happy in light of Brexit discord? Spears not only tackles these questions, but mainly, she tackles our most basic conceptions of self. A masterpiece. Watch below.