Interview: Director Alice Winocour On Why Couture Is Her Self Portrait

To the outside world, the fashion industry looks endlessly glamorous. But, as Alice Winocour’s Couture shows all too clearly, it’s anything but, making it one of the reasons why the director chose it as the setting her for the film. More importantly, it was a world she knew little about, making it as detached as possible from the basis of the story – her own life. And it gave her the freedom to open up to audiences about some of her most significant and private experiences.

During Paris Fashion Week, the lives of three women intersect and overlap. American filmmaker Maxine (Angelina Jolie) is shooting a short film to open the event. New model Ada (Anyier Anei), who sees her career as an escape from a rigidly pre-determined future at home in South Sudan, is the star of the opener. And working in the shadows of the catwalks is makeup artist Angele (Ella Rumpf), whose down-to-earth attitude proves to be a lifeline for her colleagues. Alongside the many women working on the exquisite fashions, the film reveals their struggles and resilience behind the mask of beauty and performance. And, for one of them, a life-changing diagnosis steers her towards an unexpected connection with a familiar face.

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In her exclusive interview with The People’s Movies, Winocour reveals how she came to choose the film’s title and explains her unique approach to bringing an intimate story to the screen. “One of my other films, Proxima, was also inspired by my own story but, because it was so personal, it had to be set in space. In Couture, I projected it into another world I knew nothing about, and that was fashion.”

She recalls working with Jolie, who was also a producer on the film, describing her affectionately as “a punk” and explains how the Chanel fashion house opened its doors to the project. “It was more than just giving money; it was a real collaboration. And I’m very grateful for the way they dedicated themselves to the film.”

You can watch the full interview here:

Couture is available on Digital HD from April 20^th.

About the Author

Freda Cooper

Editor

A lifelong movie fan and a film critic for over ten years, Freda’s natural habitat is the darkened rooms frequented by fellow cineastes. She can also be found asking questions of some of the biggest names in the business – from Cate Blanchett to Daniel Craig or Mike Leigh to Pete Docter – or crafting reviews for a number of sites and publications, including The People’s Movies. And listeners to BBC Local Radio can catch her views on the latest releases. She always – and probably always will – cite The Third Man as her favourite film of all time. Her top ten? That’s a moveable feast …..

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