“Icons Feed The Fires, Icons Falling From The Spires”
Tear down preconceptions and false binaries to make space for elegance within chaos and for chaos within elegance. It is about reclaiming the parts of ourselves that we are told are shameful, and transcending the culture of violent men. Gender division is rooted in class division and has been used in patriarchal systems to consolidate their power throughout history. The culture of violent men bombards us with warnings about our natural sinfulness and the corruption of our bodies, leaving us with complicated and discordant relationships with the soul and what houses it. Whenever the ruling classes became stronger, the laws grew fiercer – leading to hostility towards transgender people, same-sex love, and other forms of non-conformity.
Catholic guilt is overwhelmingly complex. The rules of the Church are the only safe course charted, from which we must not stray, lest we end up in eternal damnation. Guilt and shame are the stars that guide us down paths we are told are treacherous, from the way we navigate the world to the way we explore and express ourselves.
The heart of the film lies in the invitation it extends to individuals, encouraging them to embark on a personal voyage of redefining the concepts of masculinity and femininity according to their own unique perspectives. Celebrating the tensions between heritage and identity. The aesthetic and thematic landscape of this video unfolds like a shadowy and romantic set, skillfully drawing inspiration from the lavish and ostentatious references of the Baroque era, only to deconstruct them for boundless-minded spectators.
The truth behind the veil is more complex and more beautiful than the lie. Expressing our truest selves is confession without shame. Tear down the false icons.
creative direction. Fede Maria
styling + creative consultant. Jamie Moreno
casting. Fede Maria + Jamie Moreno
director + dop. Jake Schühle-Lewis
model. Anna Engerström, Federica Sbriccoli, Issy, Laura Rylands, Lexii Thomas, Matthew Dawson, Ranny Cooper, Reenie, Sari Mizoe, Terpsichore Khalil, Theodora Spells + Tyreece Daniels
choreography. Chester Hayes
editing + vfx. Alyn Horton
colour grading. Alex Berry
sound. Guido Maria Ross I
gaffer. Gareth Rich Lopez
1st ac. Ioanna Marti
2nd ac. Jessie Griffiths
camera operator. Jake Ingles
animation. Karina Paciorkowska
set design. Fillio de Portaberta + Gabriele Pesciotti
hair. Simone Fanari +Fabiola Merola + Simi Hair Lab
make up. Cassandra Scalia
styling assistant. Kamellia Sara Mckayed, Chris Ashley Cairns + Gabriele Pesciotti
production assistant. Sara Centola + Giulia Facciolongo
music. Bullet To The Chest licensed by Little Doom, Passacaglia Della Vita by Milly Atkinson + Arion ‘I Come’
produced by. Samantha Togni + XJB
special thanks. Martin Hanly, Frederick Olafsson, Augustinas Vasiliauskas, Lucrezia Antinori
location. Eastnor Castle
