Global production house Partizan has reunited with director Olivier Gondry, now handling him for commercials, branded content and music videos worldwide.
Gondry made his first major mark with his breakthrough commercials for HP, featuring his brother Michel and Vera Wang. Since then, the Paris-based Olivier Gondry has gone on to collaborate with notable brands such as Audi, YouTube, Fiat, Microsoft, Starbucks, Nissan, Canon, Gillette, True Religion, Etsy and Trip Advisor.
In his first lauded HP spots, Gondry explored the world of HP through his unique lens, turning an everyday consumer story into a kaleidoscope of visual twists and surreal turns, all sewn together into a seamless journey that captivated viewers. Taking brands, artists and audiences on an exhilarating ride that transcends the normal viewing experience has become the Gondry trademark. His most recent spots for online craft studio Etsy continue in that tradition.
Gondry’s arresting visuals and technical innovation also extend into the music video arena. Over the years Gondry has worked with notable artists including Daft Punk, OK Go, and The Vines. Most recently, he created a slightly disturbing and compelling visual exultation of facial flux and melding bodies for Joywave’s “Doubt.”
Prior to his return to Partizan, Gondry had most recently been repped by production house aWHITELABELproduct.
Originally known as a visual effects artist, Gondry first established himself as a director at Partizan. The renewed connection is a happy homecoming, with both sides eager to embark on a new era of the Partizan-Gondry heritage. Always one to explore different mediums, he is also currently in development on a long-form narrative project.
“Partizan has been part of my life since forever,” remarked Gondry. “First as a brother watching Michel climbing the steps. I can still remember him telling me, ‘I met this producer [Georges Bermann]…’ I was proud and curious already! It was here that I first transitioned from special effects to directing. I’m so happy to return to Partizan, to be back home and back with my brother.”
Partizan maintains offices in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, São Paulo and the Middle East.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More