Secret London reports that a music video paying tribute to MTV-era visuals has been filmed in South London, with composer Hans Zimmer — one of the most famous film composers alive — at the centre of the story. For a part of the capital that has long lived in the shadow of its glitzier northern neighbours, it's a welcome slice of the spotlight.
Hans Zimmer is, of course, a global name. The German-born composer behind the scores for The Lion King, Inception, Interstellar and Dune has collected Oscars, Grammys and a fanbase that fills arenas on his live tours. Tying his name to a music video tribute shot in South London is exactly the kind of crossover that gets film and music fans paying attention to locations they might otherwise breeze past on the train.
The tribute angle matters too. MTV's early music videos turned city locations into cultural landmarks, and modern videos that echo that visual language often do the same for their filming spots. A well-shot video can do more for a neighbourhood's profile than a tourism campaign — think of the crowds that still seek out Notting Hill's Portobello Road or Abbey Road's crossing. South London, with its mix of Victorian streets, green spaces and a thriving gig scene in areas like Peckham, Brixton and Camberwell, photographs beautifully on screen.
For travellers, this is a nudge to spend more than an afternoon south of the river. Brixton Market and its food stalls, the Horniman Museum's views over the city, Greenwich's maritime history and the riverside walk from Tower Bridge to Rotherhithe all sit within easy reach, and hotel and food prices are generally kinder than in central London.
Whether you come for the music connection or simply to see the locations through a cinematic lens, South London is having a moment — and a Hans Zimmer-backed tribute video is as good a reason as any to explore it.
