Tilda Swinton appears with Xin Zhilei and Chinese pop artist Leah Dou in a short film by Oscar-nominated German director Wim Wenders for Chanel’s 2024-2025 Métiers d’Art show, highlighting artistry and craftsmanship.
The exhibition is scheduled for December 3 at the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou, China. The backdrop is well-suited for the Metiers d’Art show, as it reflects the city’s rich history of silk production and commerce. Hangzhou’s picturesque scenery and water bodies have inspired numerous artists, including Gabrielle Chanel, the founder of Chanel, whose creativity is captured in Wenders’ movie.
Gabrielle Chanel reflected on the lake daily in her Paris residence, as depicted on a Chinese lacquer screen in her personal office on Rue Cambon. This screen was one of twenty Coromandel pieces she collected from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Swinton expressed her sincere privilege to have been closely affiliated with Chanel for over twelve years. Her enthusiasm for their collaborative work continues to increase each year. Her performance in Pedro Almodovar’s award-winning film “The Room Next Door” has propelled her into the Oscar race. She had won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Michael Clayton” in 2008.
Swinton continued by stating that Chanel is dedicated to supporting artists and arts institutions worldwide, and believes this role is more important than ever.
In Wenders’ artistic movie, Swinton explores Hangzhou with the help of the captivating screen, engaging with the scenery and meeting artists along the way. Filmed in Paris and Hangzhou, the movie mixes past and present, reality and fantasy, setting the natural scenery against modern symbols like laptops and cameras. It also honors the exchange of ideas between different cultures.
Even though she never traveled to China, Gabrielle Chanel drew great inspiration from the visuals on her Chinese screens, which influenced her artistic style. Her creations from the 1950s and 60s were adorned with symbols of Chinese culture.
Wenders, who directed the film “Perfect Days” which was Japan’s entry for the 2024 Oscars and received a nomination for best international feature, mentioned having spent time in Mademoiselle Chanel’s office studying her Coromandel screen in preparation for the film. “It left a significant impact on me.” In some way, it resembled an early film screen or a large comic strip with numerous small tales.
He explains that everywhere you turned, you would see another glimpse of everyday life. Places have served as the main source of inspiration for all of my movies. Many of them began with a longing to discover the unique tale that would be tied to a specific location I came across and cherished. That narrative had to be set there and couldn’t occur anywhere else.
Meanwhile, Zhilei commented that Hangzhou combines a rich cultural heritage with a modern innovative spirit, which is in line with Gabrielle Chanel’s groundbreaking ideals.
She commended the movie for being “full of lyrical beauty, overflowing with enchantment and discovery, just like the sensation I get from the city of Hangzhou.” While filming at sunset, the garden’s stunning beauty mesmerized us, and we captured and shared this moment with images.
Dou stated that she has always believed that culture is a crucial source of inspiration for artistic creation. She believes it is appropriate that Hangzhou has produced a lot of poetry and tradition because it maintains a solid cultural base. Dou stated that despite being a modern and advanced city, it still maintains a balance between culture and modernity.
