This interdisciplinary performance art film for Louis XIII Cognac–titled Believe in Time–was led by Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and visual artist Solange Knowles, who also composed an original piece of music for the project, in collaboration with Chinese couture designer Guo Pei, and French-Senegalese Cannes Festival’s Grand Prix winning director Mati Diop (Atlantics). Imagined and developed by creative agency Fred & Farid Los Angeles, the film reminds us of the human being’s place in the universe, and the infinite time it takes for great things to happen. Louis XIII Cognac expresses its unique relation to time by paying tribute to Mother Earth.
Knowles stated, “Time and space are really at the foundation of my expressions. I’m a strong believer that the space and time surrounding our work is just as important as the work itself, and world making has been a part of my practice for quite some time now. These ideas align with what is being expressed with Louis XIII’s creation, Believe in Time. The question of time is always in my container of consciousness while creating. In most of my own work, whether it be music, film, or sculpture, I try to give thought on how future generations will discover it; and so, to be aligned on these ideas gave me great interest in the type of projects Louis XIII has been creating. I’ve been a huge fan of Mati Diop’s Atlantics, and Guo Pei’s incredible craftsmanship and jumped at the conversations to collaborate with them. Being able to bring all of these facets of creation by composing an original musical score really brought this project to life.”