A Call to Emancipation
Filmed in February to create a wintery atmosphere, Replica is the result of a shared taste between SimonaGun and Mès Lesne for movement and freedom of bodily expression. Conceived by the French artist, the choreography offers a belligerent interpretation. First, the black-clad Walkers reflect a standardized society, rushing headlong, forgetting the very essence of life. Consumed by consumerism and urgency, they dance symmetrically and determinedly, causing everyone's downfall. Then, at the center, the white-clad Dreamers represent a small group of marginalized individuals who revel in their difference, performing an intense and clinical dance. They call upon the crowd to open their eyes, embracing love, passion, and the desire to break free from alienation.
Between oppression and faith in a better future, Replica was produced in just 24 hours within the emblematic courtyard of 3537 in Paris. Furthermore, this long-term project required the expertise and talent of a sharp artistic team, from costume designers to makeup artists.
At a time when difference is judged by accusatory gazes, the gap between "the normal" and "the marginalized" widens. Replica encourages emancipation from rules and prohibitions alike, but above all, to embrace the beauty of all differences, in a society where everyone is another replica of someone who thought they were different.
Laruicci Full Look (White blazer and skirt) from SS23 RTW Collection
A Call to Emancipation
Filmed in February to create a wintery atmosphere, Replica is the result of a shared taste between SimonaGun and Mès Lesne for movement and freedom of bodily expression. Conceived by the French artist, the choreography offers a belligerent interpretation. First, the black-clad Walkers reflect a standardized society, rushing headlong, forgetting the very essence of life. Consumed by consumerism and urgency, they dance symmetrically and determinedly, causing everyone's downfall. Then, at the center, the white-clad Dreamers represent a small group of marginalized individuals who revel in their difference, performing an intense and clinical dance. They call upon the crowd to open their eyes, embracing love, passion, and the desire to break free from alienation.
Between oppression and faith in a better future, Replica was produced in just 24 hours within the emblematic courtyard of 3537 in Paris. Furthermore, this long-term project required the expertise and talent of a sharp artistic team, from costume designers to makeup artists.
A Breathtaking Cinematic Production
Produced by La Belle Façon, an artistic production company that is both creative and audacious, Replica captures the alienated gazes of the Walkers, the breathless gasps of the Dreamers, all dressed by Lucille Betrancourt. The overall fatigue permeates the screen, translating humanity's exhaustion, all set to a musical composition by Thomas Couzinier. The French multi-instrumentalist composer here draws on the noise of those who dominate and the sound of the wind, before deploying a women's choir whose imaginary language recalls the rhythmic poetry of Carmina Burana.
The final touch to this sublime tableau is the Brazilian painter Samuel de Saboia, who created the pictorial symbol that has become the emblematic logo of the film Replica.
Article by Lily-Rose Rueda.
Source: https://www.paulemagazine.com/culture/replica-une-denonciation-de-luniformisation-du-monde/
Credits:
Stylist : Amélie Nguyen
Director : Virna Hagen
Photographer : Charlotte Navio
Choreography : Mes Lesne
Production Company : La Belle Façon
Funding : 3735