“I forget that I’m responsible. But I
am.”
Je Suis Responsable offers to the viewer a poetic, poignant experience while posing
questions over humanity and existence. It’s the latest fashion film by award
winning director Enrico Poli for the emerging brand, À forma. It was produced by Manufactory Productions and shot in
several locations around Bologna, a town in northern Italy.
Je Suis Responsable (French for “I am
responsible”) stands first and foremost for the designers’ statement to
produce responsibly. However, the film takes its title from a monologue it
quotes and homages. In Godard’s Vivre sa
Vie, Anna Karina’s character tells a friend how she feels that “we are responsible for everything we do”.
What does it actually mean to say that we are responsible?
The
locations where the film is set constantly remind us of the power of nature;
that given enough time, nature finds its way through what humans have
neglected. It’s key to the central message of the film: artifice is immaterial,
things fade, they lose their form and function. Humans are impermanent, only
nature continues. It’s the biggest strength we know. Nature is time’s most
wonderful and consistent expression.
“What moved us into action was the urgency to translate the global derealisation brought about by the pandemic into a form of art. Coronavirus has shown us how fragile we are and how easily things can fall apart: I can’t help but feel this is a wake up call. As we continue to live through this crisis with an awareness of our own fragility and as scientists warn us of the irrevocable damage Global Warming will have on society, preserving life on this planet has become the defining challenge of our time. It may already be too late to reverse this course, but I firmly believe the least we can do is try.” - Enrico Poli
The film is Enrico Poli’s
latest collaboration with designer Antonio, after working successfully on two
films for his previous brand MONO-Y and Not(e) for a Dreamer.
“Antonio and I have always thought very
highly of each other, and have developed an attitude toward working together
based on trust and creative freedom. Back in November 2020 Antonio and Daniele
had just started producing the first collection of their new brand, À forma. I was prepping a music video at the time and I asked them
to invest some money so that I could hold on to the camera and the lenses for
one additional day. They accepted and we went on to shoot Je Suis Responsable.
I remember Antonio and Daniele laughing at me when I told them that I was
writing a script; I hadn’t seen a single piece of clothing, and there hadn’t
been much discussion over what the film was supposed to communicate, yet. All I
knew was that À forma had made
sustainability its core value.” Enrico
Poli
À forma bases its designs on contrasts. Combining opposites represents the lifestyle of the designers. They believe in the adaptability of form. They structure their work up to the smallest detail, with the aim of seeing the unexpected emerge. They put absolute attention in the selection of the fabrics of their garments, then play with accessories to create breaking points. The film mirrors this approach with its narrative, cinematography, and soundtrack. Finding the breaking point of an image becomes a way to further expand its reality.
To achieve the atmospheric suspense of this film Enrico worked extensively with composer Paolo Gaudio. The soundtrack gives the rhythm to the piece, creating moments of tension, and alternating them with silence to finally resolve into poetic, uplifting notes for the epilogue.
The
director had the chance to work with Daniel De Vue @A52 for the color grade.
Daniel decided to support the project after Enrico showed him an early cut.
Watch the film here:
Je Suis Responsable from Enrico Poli on Vimeo.
FILM CREDITS
Brand: À forma
Creative Directors: Antonio Labroca + Daniele Parete
Models: Désirée Gérandin, D N L
Female Voice: Désirée Gérandin
Male Voice: Victor Gourreau
Writer / Director: Enrico Poli
Cinematography: Lamberto Mongiorgi
1st AC: Guglielmo Trautvetter
Production Assistants: Letizia Giorgio, Giorgia Garagnani
Editor: Enrico Poli
Styling: Antonio Labroca + Daniele Parete for À forma
Color Grader: Daniel De Vue @ A52
Sound Design + Music: Paolo Gaudio
Sound Mix + Master: Samir Bastajib
Location Manager: Andrea Rubini
Still Photographer: Andrea Rubini @rubolide
Production Company: Manufactory Productions
Special Thanks to Matilde Benedusi
FILM STILLS
THE BRAND
“We don’t need form. What defines us is the
subtle dance of the fabric on the bodies.”
À forma works avoiding massive production. The designs are studied to last over time, and every piece is unique. À forma bases its designs on contrasts. Combining opposites represents the designers’ lifestyle. Their main inspiration is people. Their diversity, their faces, their style... Everybody is a stranger. A unique soul they must connect with.
Antonio and Daniele believe in the adaptability of form. They structure their work up to the smallest detail, with the aim to achieve the unexpected. They put absolute attention in the selection of the fabrics of our garments, then play with accessories to create breaking points.
“It takes a lot of effort to get punk to emerge from the structured lines of our designs. In our creative process there are no limitations of craft. We contaminate our work with as many art forms as possible. Our ultimate mission is to explore and discover the simplicity of beauty.”
À forma is such stuff as summers are made on. It’s salty water in your mouth once we’re back from a dream. It’s the memory of an encounter made too late at night. It’s the atavistic pulsating nature in the arteries of the city. Born in the wilderness, it roams the streets hungry for urban vibes; for stories of human connection; for shared moments, and flutterings about the heart.
Instagram: aformastudio
CAMPAIGN PHOTOS CREDITS
Brand & Design: À forma | instagram: aformastudio
Styling and Creative Direction: Daniele Parete | instagram: diennelle
Art Direction & Photography: Antonio Labroca | instagram: antoniolabroca
Jewelry Designed by Alter Alter for À forma | instagram:
the_alteralter
Models: Jon Bronxl @jonbroxl | Omar Jaimes @omarjaimes | William
BIOGRAPHIES
Enrico Poli is an Award Winning
Writer and Director. His storytelling relies on the harmonious juxtaposition of
memorable images and powerful acting. His aesthetics has also led him to
explore narrative through fashion film and advertising.
Enrico's short films have been selected and awarded in many notable festivals across the world, such as Aesthetica, Short Shorts Film Festival, Palm Springs and Berlin Fashion Film Festival. In 2017 his fashion film MONO-Y was awarded as Best Italian Film at the Milano Fashion Film Festival; in 2018 he was elected as Best Director at the London Fashion Film Festival for Not(e) for a Dreamer.
Born in Bologna (Italy), Enrico moved to Milan to study Graphic Design. After graduating (Communication Design – BA) he enrolled for an MA in Visual Arts at the IUAV (Venice), where he was introduced to the art and craft of filmmaking.
www.enricopoli.com
instagram: _enricopoli_
--
Antonio Labroca was born in Puglia (Southern Italy). At the age of 23 he relocated to Milan where he worked as a Visual Merchandiser for several companies, including “ La Rinascente”,“Armani”,“Inditex”, “COS” and many others. In 2008 he moved to London to further expand his portfolio and experience.
In England he started working as Fashion Consultant freelance and had his first approach with the film
industry, working on sets as Costume Designer and Art Director. In 2015 he moved to Florence, where he started his first independent fashion label named: M O N O - Y (https:// www.pinterest.it/antoniolabroca/). In the meantime he was assisting Federico Curradi with his personal project. M O N O - Y experimented with new forms of fashion, exploring and combining film and photography. The launch film for the brand was awarded as Best New Italian Fashion Film and nominated as Best Brand at the Fashion Film Festival Milano in 2017.
In 2019 Antonio decided to go back to his hometown in Puglia to get a break from the big cities and refocus. He spent a year by the sea side, surrounded by nature. This time was paramount to his creative career. He relocated once again in Milan with a position as image consultant for Moschino. In Milan he started working as stylist and Art Director for film and fashion editorials. In 2020 he started developing a new personal project with his friend and colleague Daniele Parete. They named the project À forma.
instagram: antoniolabroca
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Daniele Parete is a Milan born and raised visual image consultant. His interest in clothing and styling started at a very young age; it developed throughout the years, alongside his passion for other forms of art, such as dance and painting.
Daniele’s grandmother was a tailor. Living with her for a period of his life, he discovered his passion for making clothes and experimenting with looks. He graduated in Fashion Design at Politecnico di Milano, with a dissertation about the constriction of the uniforms. This allowed him to perform and visually represent his art through fashion.
After seeking inspiration in London for some time, he decided to attend a professional course in Pattern Making. This allowed him to further develop his craft in clothing production, while collaborating with shoe brands and as stylist free-lance for fashion shoots and catalogues. Always in search of something new, he moved away from Milan starting his journey as Visual Merchandiser for COS. Since then he has lived in Bologna, Florence and Madrid, expanding further his experience in the “business of fashion”.
In 2020 he started finally developing a personal project with his friend and colleague Antonio Labroca. They named the project À forma.
instagram: diennelle
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Manufactory Productions is an Independent Production based in Bologna (Italy), founded in 2014.
https://www.manufactoryproductions.com/
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