Watch Two Weird Short Films From Donald Glover: ‘Polenta’ and ‘Avocado’

Less than a week after delivering a scorching Coachella set and surprising his fans with a mini-thriller called Guava Island, Donald Glover dropped five odd short films on his @childishgambino Instagram feed this morning, including two food-themed clips. These strange little videos — all of which co-star comedian extraordinaire Mo’Nique — were made as part of the actor/writer/rapper’s collaboration with Adidas on a new sneaker line called Donald Glover Presents.

One clip, dubbed “Avocado,” begins with Glover in a beekeeper’s suit, scraping honey from a hive frame. Mo’Nique then walks into the workshop, inspects his operation, and tells Glover he’s actually been harvesting the wrong stuff — avocado blossom honey, when he should’ve been collecting sourwood honey.

And the other food-themed clip, “Polenta,” features Glover and Mo’Nique, both dressed to the nines, poking around the kitchen at what appears to be some Hollywood event. After Mo’Nique complains about the “Japanese polenta” that’s on the menu, she makes some grits herself and serves them to Glover. “The viscosity on this is amazing,” he says after taking a bite. “How’d you do that with just butter?” Mo’Nique then makes fun of him for remarking upon “the viscosity” of her dish.

The relationship between Glover and Monique’s characters is never explained, and it’s unclear whether these videos are different parts of one story or isolated vignettes. But each clip features brief shots of the shoes that the rapper/actor created with Adidas, and most of them have some connection to the ideas of craftsmanship and authenticity. According to an official announcement from Adidas, these films were directed by Glover’s Atlanta collaborator Ibra Ake, and they were co-written by comedian Sam Jay and Guava Island scribe Jamal Olori.

Even though these videos are part of a sneaker ad campaign, they definitely align with the distinctly weird-but-cool world that Glover creates on Atlanta, and through his music and videos as Childish Gambino. Check out “Polenta” and “Avocado” in the clips above, and watch the rest on Glover’s Instagram account.

• @childishgambino [Instagram]