What is style in film and why is it so important?
Each year a bumper crop of films brimming with style, art, fashion and cinematic aesthetic will inspire trends, enliven our senses, enlighten our minds and entertain our hearts and souls. All we have to do is be open to the experience.
So what exactly is style in film and what can we expect from VIFF’s Style in Film Series?
Perhaps the most obvious show of style in film is fashion. Remember Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Arguably the most iconic style film of all time, director Blake Edwards defined style and positioned Audrey Hepburn as a style icon from 1961 until the end of time.
In recent years we have been enlightened by plethora of other films focusing on those who inspire style and set trends. From fashion moguls Anna Wintour in The September Issue and Diana Vreeland, to propagators of style such as Bill Cunningham and Ari Seth Cohen, whose film Advanced Style featured in VIFF’s Style in Film Series, embolden women to feel stylish at any age.
However, style is not just found in clothes, it can be exhibited in a cinematic aesthetic, sometimes a calling card for filmmakers such as Wes Anderson and Pedro Almodevar, whose distinct artistry create a visual language throughout their body of work.
Sometimes style in film is a choice that supports a narrative or character arc. In 2013 Spike Jonze‘s Her, futuristic aesthetic was intricately and beautifully juxtaposed against Joaquin Pheonix’s high-wasted 1930’s style pants. Tom Ford’s directorial debut in 2009, A Single Man, flawlessly embodied style in film, where each fine cinematic detail left us staring into the dark abyss of loneliness alongside Colin Firth.
Mastery of style, like that exemplified by Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette can even transport us to a different era altogether. This years’, The Two Faces of January, based on a book by the iconic Patricia Highsmith, has been lauded for its stunning 1960’s stylization.
And then there is the portrait of the creators of fashion themselves. Films about fashion trailblazers such as Coco Channel, Christian Dior and this year, Yves Saint Laurent, give us a behind-the-scenes view of the lives lived and pain endured for the sake of art, bringing an appreciation and perspective on the artists themselves; their muses, vices and own influences.
VIFF’s Style in Film Series weaves together all of these elements that constitute ‘style in film’ – all you need to do is show up with an open mind and let these icons of style inspire you through their unique interpretations of an art that permeates all areas of our lives.
Jacqueline Dupuis
VIFF Executive Director
To check out the Style In Film Series this year and get your tickets today, click here.
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