Earlier this year we featured the Brooklyn based artist and filmmaker Alexandra Roxo‘s film for Suzanne Rae’s fall/winter 2011 collection. Entitled Drift, the film was a dreamy and mysterious tale. This time around, for Suzanne Rae’s SS 2012, Alexandra has created a much looser and more free story. The film premiered at Art Basel Miami Beach the other day, and is making its debut online here on Ben Trovato today.
Alexandra says Rise is about letting loose, being free, and going back to a magical childlike place where you can get dirty and run around in the woods. We caught up with young directer to ask her a few questions about her new film.
How is Rise different from your previous work for Suzanne Rae? “The last film I made for Suzanne Rae, DRIFT, had more of a narrative. RISE has a narrative as well but it’s less linear, it’s looser and more free. RISE is more of a collage of moments of these girls breaking free and being wild- maybe it’s only happening in their heads, or maybe it’s real. Both films start in a very real world and then change into something more surreal and then finish with a clear break from the dream world.”
What were your inspirations while making Rise? “Usually when people think of Spring/Summer collections they think “Sun!” But we did the opposite…we wanted to create a darker, moody, misty vibe. The collection was inspired by Japanese turn of the century culture so Suzanne and I looked at a lot of Kurosawa films that felt magical, but also had a simplicity to them. The girls start in a very “normal” world: fishing and just relaxing. But once they take their boat into the mist things start to shift…”
Suzanne Rae is a great designer, how was she to work with? “Suzanne is super fun to work with because in moments where we are brainstorming she is always open and full of fun ideas. We weren’t sure about something on set and Suzanne was the one to say “Tell them to climb the tree!” And I love that about her. ”
Models/actresses Ellen Van Der Plancken and Anelisa Durham look amazing, and seem to be taking the step to film quite well? “They were incredible. They didn’t complain at all even though I asked them to climb trees, get in the mud, swim in the rain. They were real professionals!”
What’s next for Alexandra? “I’ve got a few commercial projects in the works, another fashion film for a jewelry designer, my feature Mary Marie is going to be distributed, and I’m working on a few new feature scripts!”
Credits
Directed by Alexandra Roxo
Cinematography by Kitao Sakurai
Produced by Jeff Croghan
Edited by Luke Lynch
Hair by Marcel Dagenais
Makeup by Kristina Persson
Models - Ellen Van Der Plancken from Elite and Anelisa Durham
