20. Joanna Newsom: “Sapokanikan”

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Saying not much happens in Joanna Newsom's "Sapokanikan" video is the same as saying nothing happens on day when you take a long stroll propelled by the idea that time is yours to use as uselessly as you choose. Which is to say not much happens in the "Sapokanikan" video. But it's a beautiful nothing, with Newsom gliding through Manhattan as Paul Thomas Anderson’s lens hovers around her. When she finally steps into the spotlight, it happens to be the sad and beautiful red glow of a stationary fire truck. —Matthew Schnipper