A new controversial documentary about models asks less than typical questions about the so-called glamorous fashion industry.
The glamour of fashion may have been obvious on the runways of NZ Fashion Week last week, but a new film set to be released soon exposes a much seedier, darker side of the industry.
Picture Me examines the world of modelling as seen through the eyes of ex-model Sara Ziff and some of her friends; think piles of money, long hours and sexual abuse. It's an interesting and somewhat uncomfortable watch, raising issues and asking questions about the industry that many don't want to talk about.
Shot over a period of five years, the documentary began as home video footage shot by Ziff's then-boyfriend Ole Schell, who would follow her to odd castings and jobs and film her life as a young model. Eventually they had filmed a lot of footage and showed it to friends, and discovered that they had something worth watching. "We found that it was quite compelling actually, because it was a unique and very intimate look at not only the fashion industry but the beginning of a modelling career," explains Schell. The pair decided to push their idea further and make their "home video" into more of a traditional documentary - Schell continued to follow Ziff, and then she would carry the camera, and eventually they would give the camera to other models to film a video diary, where they would talk about their hopes, dreams and complaints about the industry. "What started out as Sara's story effectively became several other models' stories," says Schell, "Many issues presented themselves that were unavoidable, like obsession with youth, objectification, the thinness of models, sexual exploitation - these eventually became the chapters of the film."
The resulting footage has already been described in the media as "shocking" - the most confronting is model Sena Cech looking into the camera and calmly recounting her encounter with a nameless photographer at a casting. He asks her to strip, so she does; the photographer soon follows and tells her to do something sexy. The assistant tells Cech to grab the photographer's penis, and she does it. "But later I didn't feel good about it."
For Ziff, hearing these types of stories wasn't surprising. "Everyone in the industry knows that these problems exist. Journalists who have seen the film have described it as shocking, but I don't think it's that shocking. Maybe what's shocking is how honest it is and hearing it from the models themselves. So many people have heard these issues from an outsider's perspective, but very rarely does anyone ask the models what they think and what their experience has been." Ziff is right when she says that the usual questions that models are asked are along the lines of "what is your favourite shampoo" - watch Fashion TV for an inane montage of models being asked silly questions backstage - and she says the film gave her and some model friends a chance to talk about things they are hardly ever asked: What do you think is important in the industry? What have been your experiences? What do you think needs to be fixed to affect positive change?
Ziff, who left modelling to study American Politics at Columbia University, thinks one thing that could have a positive effect on the industry would be to examine the age of models. She finds it disarming that in modelling, a teenage girl who may not have any sexual experience is often required to portray a sexiness beyond her years. But it goes beyond that as well: young girls often don't have the confidence of someone older, and are less likely to stand up for themselves on shoots, with agents or sleazy photographers.
"If you recognise that the extreme thinness of the models - the tired old subject that we've all heard a million times before - is a symptom of the extreme youth of the models, then you start getting to the core of what's going on. Obviously these teenagers can be gangly in a way that's not natural for a 30-year-old woman to be," she explains.
"But what does it mean that we have this fascination with looking at really vulnerable young girls, who are kids actually. I think you have to recognise that you're looking at people who are very malleable or impressionable, who are not fully formed both physically and sexually. Everyone talks about fashion as if it's some glamorous industry, but when you're dealing with young kids put in very adult situations, I wouldn't say that's exactly glamorous.
"If you tried to make the industry better for them, or set a different standard by using adult women who can stand up for and speak for themselves, then I think you're creating a positive image that will have a ripple effect for the consumer and women in general."
Starting a discussion about the issues facing girls in the industry is something Ziff and Schell are passionate about, and they acknowledge the film may have already done so. They both admire the Cech who came forward with her experiences - a confession which seemingly sparked a wave from other models in March, most of which were directed at photographer Terry Richardson.
Although Ziff is quick to point out they do not name any photographers in the film, she says, "that controversy did kind of come out after our film's premiere at festivals. I think it's encouraging that our film has provoked a dialogue and encourages models to have a voice and speak out. I couldn't really ask for anything else."
VIP Viva
Picture Me is in cinemas from tomorrow and we are delighted to have 20 tickets to give away. Email your name, address and contact phone number to vipviva@nzherald.co.nz with Picture Me in the subject line. Entries close October 4. Winners announced October 6.
