A question posed in an award-winning album by singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, producer and Billie’s brother Finneas O’Connell. In celebration of the album and the artistic process, fans were invited to view the global live premiere for the release of “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry,” a new Apple Original Film from award-winning director R.J. Cutler.
The film premiered on the 25th February 2021, and featured a stripped back version of the song “ilomilo” by Eilish and her brother Finneas, exclusive video footage of Billie speaking to her fans, an interview with Cutler, all of which is hosted by DJ Zane Lowe. The World’s A Little Blurry shows a nuanced and intimate side of Billie’s life experiences, her struggles as a musician, the importance of family, and ultimately the growing pains of being a teenager in the limelight. The run time is extended just over 2 hours, and the production is from Apple Original Films, in association with Interscope Films, The Darkroom, This Machine and Lighthouse Management & Media. T.
“It’s quite a remarkable family story because it’s simple and it’s clear, and yet it seems almost miraculous. How is it possible that Billie and Finneas do this work together? How is it possible that their two prodigies that come from the same parents? There are so many aspects to it, but most of all they’re folks who are unconditionally committed to supporting their kids being truly who they are. And truth and empathy and the fundamental themes, I think of this film, I think of Billie’s work. I think of this moment – I think it’s probably why it’s her moment” – Director, R.J. Cutler
Alexander McQueen and Jonathan Glazer: First Light
Alexander McQueen presents “First Light”, a film in conjunction with English filmmaker Jonathan Glazer and Alexander McQueen’s creative director Sarah Burton. The film combines the gritty scenes from the River Thames overpass with the stripped-back clothing and accessories from the campaign. With the tagline “Back to London, coming home” and under Glazer’s directing, the film draws on the peculiar and the striking.
Debuting Alexander McQueen’s 21’ Spring/Summer collection, each scene shows the meeting point between the sophisticated and the rugged through a culmination of panned and still shots. The musical score is intense with bass and synths that reverberate throughout. Each shot is a hodgepodge, a collision of clothing hailing from different time periods that are brought together to create something new and refined.
The womenswear collection includes pieces like a deconstructed dress with a strapless corset and an exploded skirt in layers of blush and tea rose tulle. This corset dress is featured in the film and worn by model Celina Ralph, who is caught in a cinematic shot, falling back slowly into a bed of mud. The menswear features a black biker jacket with zip detailing, a vest in white cotton jersey and biker trousers with zip detailing, reminiscent of the biker fashion of the 60’s.
“Shape, silhouette and volume, the beauty of the bare bones of clothing stripped back to its essence – a world charged with emotion and human connection.” – Sarah Burton.
To discover the collection, visit AlexanderMcQueen.com
Somerset House presents: Untitled by Akinola Davies Jr
In their latest installation of their ongoing online Pause programme — a mid-week moment designed to carve out time to enjoy an artist’s work in full — Somerset House Studios has partnered with artist & filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. on a film that documents his interactions with his mother during lockdown. In an exploration of themes of mortality , intergenerational relationship and the black female body, Davies Jr. uses his lens to tell a story of black motherhood.
“There is redemption in exploring the power of vulnerability. The passage of time and a confrontation of mortality and the eternal. This work leans on the sacrifice of motherhood. The process of ageing. The relationship of the human body with the physical space as expansive lives inhabit the daily ritual of being. It is a requiem of living memories. Homage to technology as an archive of embalming our history, bringing life to our past. It is the honouring of our mothers so our days on earth can be long. Ultimately I don’t know what the work is about, but I also know exactly what it is about. It is a work that lives in the quiet space, beyond words. It is ultimately what I place value on. The most value,” he explained. Watch the full film here.
For sixth edition of their international art project SELF , curated by Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent recently produced a documentary directed by Abel Ferrara entitled “Sportin’ Life.” Set to debut at Venice Film Festival this weekend the documentary is a social commentary on society while highlighting the multiple facets of individual existence through the eyes of different artists. In an exploration of the sources and personal history of creativity , the film looks at the essential life of an artist . It offers an intimate look into Ferrara’s life and his own artistic world filled with art, music, filmmaking as well as as a first hand insight on his collaborators and muses suck as Willem Dafoe, Joe Delia , Paul Hipp among others.
“I have been shooting predominately documentaries the past 10 years or so. Whatever the subject – Piazza Vittorio, Padre Pio – we also film the process itself….so our team and I are a part of it. The subject of my new documentary is the relationship I have to my work, to Willem Dafoe, and my music and art. These relationships are the starting point and I could not avoid facing what the world went through this year with the pandemic” explained Abel Ferrara.
PAMPAS by Jessica Bishopp – A Short Film on how to spot a Swinger
For her directorial debut filmmaker and artist Jessica Bishopp explores the practice of swinging — habitual group sex or the swapping of swapping of sexual partners — in the 1970’s. In an imaginative documentary, she the rumoured notion that suburban swingers identify themselves within the community by planting a feathery planted called Pampas on their front lawns as hidden invitations to each other.
The documentary features the voices of a group of women discussing the rumours that were connected to the plant as they also reminisce on the swinging parties that occurred in the 70’s. With model and author Naomi Shimada centerstage , the film gives a peek into the worlds of female desire, subcultures, botanical myths and this intriguing suburban legend.
Cover Image: Still from Kenzo Memento by Thomas Traum
In a few weeks, the annual Fashion Film Festival Milano will present its sixth edition of screening since its establishment by Costanza Cavalli Etro five years ago. Set to take place from November 7th – 10th, at the Anteo Palazzo del Cinema, the festival will showcase a selection of 200 films from over 50 countries divided by curator Gloria Maria Cappelletti into categories under themes such as feminism, social diversity & inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
From this selection of 200 films, the festival’s jury will be tasked to select winners for 16 categories including Best Fashion Film, Best Director, Best Green Fashion Film and the newly added category of Best New Italian Designer/Brand. The association has also partnered with Istituto Marangoni on The Gaze of The Future Fashion Film Contest, which will set an evening for the screening of films by emerging talents as well as a conversation, giving advice on pursuing a career in the industries as a young creative.
This year’s jury is lead by Giorgio Armani, and features fashion and art industry executives such as photographer Cass Bird; founder of Brazilian brand Osklen, Oskar Metsavaht; top model and human rights activist Waris Dirie; founder and creative director of Petronio Associates Ezra Petronio; actress, creator and producer Cristiana Captondi; Artistic Director of Pirelli HangarBicocca Vicente Todoli; Fashion Critic Angelo Flaccavento and Vogue Japan Editor-at-large Sissy Vian.
Apart from the screening of films, additional festivities will also include conversations discussing topics such as Independent Publishing from a Female Point of View and issues surrounding female rights and female genital mutilation and a special screening of The Times of Bill Cunningham — a film directed by Mark Bozek honouring the memory of the later fashion photographer Bill Cunningham. The four day event will then conclude with the Italian premiere of Peter Lindbergh: Women’s Stories, a film directed by Jean-Michel Vecchiet documenting some of the works of the iconic fashion designer who recently passed away while some of his muses including Naomi Campbell, Astrid Lindbergh, and Helga Polzin discuss his legacy. For more information about the festival visit Fashion Film Festival Milano.
Miu Miu Women’s Tales 16 – The Wedding Singer’s Daughter
A few years ago in, Italian womenswear label Miu Miu initiated an ongoing series of short films featuring all female directors using the platform to tell captivating and pertinent stories from a female perspective. Each year, the brand commissions and releases two films for both their summer and winter collections. This year, for their 16th installation of the series, the brand has tapped Saudia Arabia’s first female filmmaker Haifaa al-Mansour to direct their freshly-released film entitled “The Wedding Singer’s Daughter.” The film is set during the 1980’s in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and speaks on the strict gender segregation rules of Saudi Weddings.
The storyline features a cast of women draped in their traditional black abayas driving to the hall of the wedding location, and reveals the sparkle of the glamorous heels, dazzling dresses and wild hair once they arrive and are in an all female presence. As they prepare for this celebration, all eyes are on the wedding singer to keep it going until the electricity suddenly cuts out. Mumbles begin and guests start to complain, the singer experiences a slight panic until she is saved by an unlikely heroine: her young daughter who manages to save her mother’s dignity. “Weddings are the actual mirror of society in Saudi Arabia: segregated, fragmented, along gender and class. I wanted to tell the story of those people and capture that tenderness,” says the director, “It’s very important for women to tell their stories, and sometimes it’s hard. In the film, the daughter uses her nimble mind to quickly solve the problem just like an independent film-director. For me the little girl represents the future, and the future belongs to the outsiders.” The film can currently be seen along with the brand’s repertoire online MiuMiu.com.
Joost Vandebrug’s debut documentary racked up huge hype when it premiered at Sheffield Film Festival this year, and rightly so.
The Dutch photographer and Twin contributor has a knack for telling stories. His documentary style of photography has often focussed on the hidden human element of lives across Europe. He spent years taking photographs in Bucharest, exploring, to coin his own words, the generation that time forgot in a post-communist era. He also documented the lives of ‘lost boys’ in Transylvania. His photographs observe without judging, portraits devoid of propaganda or manipulation.
In Bruce Lee & The Outlaw the theme of loss and abandonment is present in a compelling documentary film. A rich narrative about the children of Bucharest centres on the story of Nicu, a homeless street child, who is adopted by the notorious Lord of the Underworld ‘Bruce Lee’ and brought up in the subterranean tunnels of Bucharest. The story was filmed over six years, a testament to Vandebrug’s patience and dedication to telling the most honest story he can.
Having been compared to both Larry Clark and Louis Theroux, there’s no doubt that more compelling documentaries are to come.
Watch a trailer for Bruce Lee and the Outlaw below.
Puedo Hacerte Una Foto, A portrait of Cuba
Premiering on Nowness last week, a new film by Rosanna Webster and Phoebe Henry captures the spirit and energy of Cuba, offering a vivid, energetic portrait of a country in flux.
The film is rendered in deep, rich colour, with a buoyant soundtrack that, along with the fast-paced narrative, sweeps the viewers into the heart of the country.
“Cuba gets under your skin; it’s a complete sensory overload, chaotic, colourful, unapologetically loud and in your face.” The pair said of the film, adding that “Life spills out on to the streets, people constantly approach you. The culture has a tempo and a pace that gets under your skin. We were instantly immersed in this and wanted the film to encapsulate this uninhibited, vivacious and spontaneous culture.”
Fall into Ruin: William E. Jones at The Modern Institute
William E Jones, one of Los Angeles’ foremost independent film makers, once wrote of his work: “I am making my own explosions, in another context.” He was referring to the veneration of big budget Hollywood films to include explosions; Jones has created films which focus on visual stimulation rather than coherent narratives. Jones’ wide ranging body of work, such as feature length films Finished (1997) and Is It Really So Strange? (2004), have dealt with issues of sexuality, deception and artistic and social façades. Jones’ latest project Fall Into Ruin promises a return to these themes as it makes its debut at The Modern Institute, Glasgow.
In Fall Into Ruin, Jones converges with an equally impressionable and multifaceted character, that of Alexander Iolas, the eminent Greek art dealer.The film documents the artist’s return to the property of Iolas, situated in an Athenian suburb. The art dealer became well known for his affiliation with surrealists such as Max Ernst and his championing of late Picasso works. He remains a figure of mystery within the art world; indeed, his own age was never discovered due to the continual changes he made to his date of birth on his passport. Fall Into Ruin is an investigation into the life of the Iolas through a visual catalogue of the now uninhabited remnants of his homely estate. Once described as a showroom rather than a private residence, the film contrasts the current state of the building; vandalised, defaced by graffiti and looted of its contents – including his esteemed art collection. This makes an interesting comparison to Iolas himself, whom was said to mix with both the top sectors of society for business and the very bottom sectors of society for pleasure. Set among the warm, dusty Athenian landscape, the film explores the intersection of two opposing sides of the art market and marks a new fold in Jones’ ever flourishing career.
The running time of Fall into Ruin is exactly 30 minutes. Screenings will begin every half hour between 10 am – 6 pm (Monday – Friday) and 12 pm – 5 pm (Saturday) at The Modern Institute, Glasgow
On the eve of Dior’s 70th birthday, a new documentary goes behind the scenes at one of fashion’s most successful houses to unpack the rich history of the brand. The film follows in the footsteps of the acclaimed documentary Dior and I, which focussed on the run up to Raf Simon’s (then Creative Director at Dior) first collection.
Inside Dior widens the narrative, exploring the brand’s history more widely. It first looks back to the beginnings of the house, with Christian Dior’s iconic ‘New Look’ and follows the evolution the label’s signature feminine aesthetic through to present day, with Maria Grazia Chiuri now at the helm. Highlights include the introduction to Francois Demachy, Dior’s ‘nose’, set the rose and jasmine fields of the South of France, and to makeup director, Peter Philips, as he creates the right catwalk look.
Presented in two parts, this new Dior documentary is vital viewing for those looking for unique insight into one of the most game-changing brands operating today. An aesthetic delight, catch the first episode on More4 this evening.
Running from 4th – 17th August 2016 Film 4 presents the annual Summer Screen at Somerset House. The open-air film festival which will present a mixture of cult classics, contemporary movies and premieres is the largest outdoor screen, with full surround sound. What’s more turn up a little earlier to enjoy sundown DJ sets inspired by the screenings to set the mood for the film.
With an eclectic combination of movies there’s something for everyone, from comedy and musical to horror and sci-fi. This year will see the UK premiere of the critically-acclaimed Things To Come which sees a philosophy teacher battle through the death of her mother, getting fired and having to deal with a cheating husband. As always, the Summer Screen will close with a UK premiere, this time it will be a Sundance hit, Captain Fantastic, directed by Matt Ross, which follows the heartfelt story of a father whose idealistic parenting comes under attack when tragedy forces him to bring his family back into the real world. Classics and contemporary films showing include Trainspotting in homage to its 20 year anniversary, Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown with its killer soundtrack, Dracula and Ex Machina to name a few.
Film4 Summer Screen runs from 4th – 17th August, 2016. Ticket prices start from £16.00 plus booking fee. Doors open at 6pm, DJs from 6.45pm and films start at approx 9pm.
The eleventh instalment in Miu Miu’s Women’s Tales series comes from Camera D’Or-winning filmmaker Naomi Kawase, and is called Seed.
To celebrate the premiere of the latest in Miu Miu’s pioneering series of films, the brand held an exclusive screening in New York’s EN Japanese Brasserie on Hudson Street last week.
Guests included actress Emma Greenwell (pictured main – who appears in the latest issue of the Twin book) as well as Miu Miu’s spring campaign girl Julia Garner, Emily Ratajkowski, Harley Viera-Newton and Zosia Mamet.
Miu Miu describe Seed as: “a sentimental portrait of Asian femininity,” adding that Kawase depicts it as “primitive, primal and erotic at the same time”.
The film is a whimsical and poetic journey of Sakura Ando’s character from Japan’s Nara to Tokyo, set to an evocative soundtrack composed by Skanknation.
The film, of course, features Miu Miu’s latest seasonal offering, but as with all of the others in this unique series, focusses on more than that. It is about a strong female narrative. It is at its core, a story told by women, and resoundingly for them.
Joost Vandebrug: Tales Of Innocence And Of Experience
Photographer and filmmaker Joost Vandebrug does with apparent ease what many struggle with for years: he let’s his intuition guide his art. But not just his art, also his passion, his productivity and ultimately – his success.
He is a man that wears many hats, but each of them seem to fit just fine. A Dutch art director, turned fashion photographer, who then became a documentary photographer and filmmaker, music video director and now kids’ clothing designer – he appears to weave between creative practices seamlessly.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
One of Joost’s most successful projects to date – which is still ongoing – is the Lost Boys series. For half a decade he has been following and documenting the lives of a gang of children who call the streets and tunnels of post-communist Bucharest their home. Over 6,000 photographs turned into a book, Cinci Lei, (which he gutsily got off the ground thanks to a Kickstarter campaign) and more than 120 hours of footage is becoming film-shaped as we speak.
Here, we catch up with Joost to find out how – and why – one man makes all that happen.
Firstly, when and why did you realise that you wanted to make pictures and films?
Although my mum and dad are both photographers, I never really considered it as an option while growing up. I was too busy playing in punk bands and wanting to become a rock star. I guess when that failed, I enrolled into art school, but even there I hardy ever worked through the medium of photography and film. It was only after my internship with Erwin Olaf and a year break from Amsterdam (where I lived at the time), that I came back and made a somewhat conscious decision to ‘be a photographer’.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
You’re described as both a photographer and filmmaker – how does your approach to each differ, if at all? And if you could only proceed with one of them for the remainder of your career, which would it be and why? My approach in both film and photography is virtually the same, very intuitive. But lets take my Lost Boys series as an example: I have followed this group of street children and their leader Bruce Lee for over five years, and last year I published a book. In the book I have laid out the pictures, carefully of course, protecting the protagonists, and telling the story of how I see the kids, and what it was like for me being with them for all this time. Though choices are predominately made on visual aesthetic.
Now that we are making a feature documentary about the same group, there is much less that I can – and want – to leave to be interpreted by the viewer. I am compelled for it to be an honest, real and correct document of their lives. Although it will still be a poetic film, the choices that I make are not just from a visual perspective but above all they have to drive the story forwards. The devices available to tell the story are also on a completely different level. And although because of my use of small camera’s for example, which resulted in me being an unadulterated part of the story, the film is in the hands of the protagonists. Which is very exciting, but also difficult as I want to protect the protagonists at the same time.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
Can you describe your first serious photographic and film projects, respectively? Can you recall what were you trying to convey with them? Quite early on, in 2007, I was offered a solo exhibition in FOAM Amsterdam (the photography museum). The exhibition was during fashion week, so they wanted me to make a fashion connection in the work. This work became my first step to combine fashion and documentary. And still today I love to shoot fashion on real people. This can be a documentary project, but also a portrait series with a great artist or musician.
How do you think your work has progressed over the years? On all levels I got calmer. I used to rush from project to project, making huge leaps from personal work to commercial work. I guess it was important to experiment, so it wasn’t all bad, though nowadays its all come together. My commercial work goes hand in hand with my personal work and I allow myself to dive into my projects much deeper.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
What kind of journeys does your work take you on? The Lost Boys project opened a whole new world. I am visiting and documenting the lives of young, aberrant and sometimes lost youths everywhere I go. And also, now that I have set up an NGO for the protagonists of the book and film, I am visiting many befriended charities and organisations. It is like an ongoing research and very inspiring to visit all these places where other NGO’s are dealing with similar issues as I went through with the Lost Boys.
Where would you love to shoot, that you haven’t already? If I think of a place, I usually try and go pretty quickly. But, apart from those kind of research trips, I always go back for longer times to follow up on the people that I have met. Documenting them over longer periods of time. I have no interest in shooting little stories all over the place for the sake of it.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
How did you segue into music videos? Was it something you’d always wanted to do? The great thing about making music videos is to collaborate with great musicians. So its important for me to feel a strong connection with the artist. My work has always had a connection with music, so once i started using video as a technique, it made sense to shoot music videos.
Is there a music video that you wish you’d shot? The first that springs to mind is Pink Floyd, Another Brick In The Wall.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
What are you working on right now and in the year ahead? The biggest ongoing project is of course the feature documentary about Bruce lee and the Lost boys. I have found an amazing supporting team at Grain media who are very dedicated to making this a beautiful film. Its in very safe hands with Katie Bryer (she edited the Oscar-nominated documentary Virunga) who is working on the film full time, so I am able to walk in and out the editing room and thus work on my regular photography and film work as well.
Also, my husband [Tom Eerebout] and I have just launched a kids’ wear label, Jumping Dog which is super exciting. All the pieces are inspired on adventure and interactiveness with the wearer, but best of all with the profits we are 100% funding the Cinci Lei project.
To find out more about Cinci Lei, Joost’s documentary or Jumping Dog visit joostvandebrug.com
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug – buy it HERE
For spring summer 2016, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim – creative directors of Kenzo – have chosen the medium of film to produce their wares, with the 10-minute short: Snowbird. Written and directed by Sean Baker – who is still riding the wave of his critically acclaimed Tangerine, which is described as “a dramatic slapstick slice of life of two Los Angeles trans women” – the entire film was shot in what is becoming his usual style: on an iPhone.
Set in the eclectic expanse of ‘Slab City’, in the Californian Sonoran desert, the short shows Theo (played by Lee) delivering pieces of homemade cake to different residents of the unique community. Described as “a Mecca for eccentrics living off of the grid”, Slab City is touted as “a conglomeration of domestic structures cobbled together with all manner of material.”
As opposed to a glossy, all-star ensemble cast proffering a slick and stylised fashion film, as is so often the case, Kenzo and Sean Baker’s take is an altogether real (many of the cast are genuine residents of Slab City) representation of clothes in situ, which “eschews the glitz and glamour of fashion.”
This is yet another string Abbey Lee can add to her acting bow, after a successful role in Mad Max: Fury Road saw her receive much praise last year. Watch Snowbird in its entirety below, and shop the new season collection when it drops at kenzo.com.
Kids. Gummo. Spring Breakers. Director Harmony Korine’s work needs little in the way of introductions. It is with excitement, then, that we suggest you cancel all forthcoming plans and head for the London Short Film Festival this weekend, to indulge in two days of some of his most potent works. From the aforementioned Gummo, to an adaptation of Harmony Korine’s experimental novel, A Crack Up at the Race Riots by the Belgian collective Leo Gabin, the events are shaping up to be a tad more provocative than your usual Sunday roast.
“When an artist is loved or loathed in equal measure, they must be doing something right.” Says the festival’s artistic director, Philip Ilson in a candid blog post on the event’s website. “Harmony Korine is a filmmaker who is hated by many,” he continues, “his last cinema release, Spring Breakers, definitely felt like a film with a personal hate campaign against it, which must’ve excited him immensely… though I think it’s very likely he didn’t really give a fuck what people thought.”
The above serves as a highlight of the acclaimed film festival, now in it’s 13th year, which kicked off earlier this week. With screenings taking place all over the city – from ICA to the Hackney Picturehouse, Oval Space, Ace Hotel and Round Chapel – other special events includes the tongue-in-cheek Cats&Cats&Cats which promises “the best in classic and contemporary cat cinema”. Miss at your peril.
With monickers such as ‘The Pope of Trash’ and ‘The Prince of Puke,’ John Waters hasn’t always been welcomed into the greater film community, but his first UK retrospective at the British Film Institute, running until 6 October, will finally recognise him as one of the industry’s great counter cultural figures. Titled ‘It Isn’t Very Pretty…The Complete Films of John Waters [Every God Damn One of Them]”, the BFI’s month long series will screen not only his entire filmography, but his formative, early short films shown in the UK for the first time. As the ‘godfather of bad taste’, Waters’ films provide a cynical and celebratory take on American popular culture.
Though creative validation has never been a barometer for which Waters has measured himself by, the BFI tribute is nevertheless a fitting celebration of an artist who worked hard to foster an enduring and definitive style in an industry that doesn’t always allow such individuality. The cult director’s influence on art and fashion go far and wide, as seen recently in Jeremy Scott’s Spring/Summer 2016 show in New York which took beauty inspiration his films. Flip through runway shots and you’ll get to see the likes of Bella Hadid and Hollie May Saker as modern day replicas of Waters’ leading ladies – Debbie Harry, Traci Lords, and Waters’ best collaborator, the late drag performer, Divine (pictured above in Female Trouble).
The BFI series features his entire body of work, including cult classics like Pink Flamingo (1972) and his most commercial offering, Hairspray (1988). May we suggest, however, you take the time to watch Female Trouble (1974), starring Divine as a scorned teenage girl who goes on a crime spree after her parents fail to give her a pair of much coveted ‘cha cha’ heels. Another one to catch is Cry-Baby (1990), a musical romantic comedy set in 1950’s Baltimore that also stars Johnny Depp in his youthful prime.
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