Production company Eskimo has signed directing duo SÄMEN for U.S. commercial representation. Consisting of Sami and Ludovico, SÄMEN has turned out spots for the likes of Nike, Vodafone, Hyundai, BMW, Lamborghini, Apple, Tudor, Greenpeace, Yamaha, Fastweb, US Soccer, and Schoffel. The duo has collaborated with such agencies as J. Walter Thompson, DLV BBDO, Vice, Ogilvy & Mather, Grey United, Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett.
Italy-native SÄMEN began its directorial journey in the music video space. While directing videos for locally known artists and bands, an advertising agency exec took notice of the duo’s talents, tapping it to direct a spot for IKEA. SÄMEN was immediately drawn to the creative possibilities of telling unique stories in short-form and has remained in the commercial space ever since. Prior to coming to Eskimo, SÄMEN was represented at Stink Films.
Based in Milan, Italy, the duo is fully encompassed by the city’s dynamic offerings of art and culture. When they are not pitching for the next big brand campaign, or working on their dystopian short film, you can find the duo capturing small slices of the world while practicing their passion for photography and traveling.
“When I came across SÄMEN’s work, I was immediately drawn to their sleek and modern aesthetic, but most importantly, I was impressed by the sharp storytelling that’s embedded in their work,” notes Eskimo executive producer Gianfilippo Pedrotti. “SÄMEN’s ability to fuse high-end visuals with clear and strong narratives translates into their unique and individual work that spans several platforms that brands have to contend with nowadays.”
In a joint statement, SÄMEN said it was drawn to “Eskimo’s ethos of putting creativity first, while providing its directorial talent with the freedom and resources to push artistic boundaries.”
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