PARIS – Armani beauty is unveiling on Tuesday “A Few Days in Venice,” a documentary directed by Loïc Prigent focusing on young actors at the 81st Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia.
The 23-minute film stars Camila Mendes, Chase Stokes, Chris Briney, Clara Galle, Isabela Merced, Jackson Yee, Julio Peña, Lili Reinhart, Muhannad Hamdi and Beatrice Vendramin.
Armani beauty has for the past seven years been an official sponsor of the event, which ran Aug. 28 to Sept. 7. “It reflects the connection we have with the film industry, and the personal love of Mr. Armani for cinema throughout his career,” said Richard Pinabel, global brand president of Armani beauty, which is licensed to L’Oréal.
“This year, we wanted to do something different,” he continued. That included delving into what goes on before the red carpet’s unfurling.
“To show not only the glamour, the surface of what is happening, that you normally see, but also behind-the-scenes,” Pinabel said. “It’s not just the classic makeup preparation or ‘get ready with me.’ We wanted something a bit more personal, emotional and to go really behind the entire process that is leading to the event.”
The dedication and work Gen A talents — Armani beauty’s collective of international stars — pour into their careers is highlighted.
“You can really see their joys, their fears, [their aspirations] — even their vulnerabilities,” Pinabel said. “They are very open, some of them, to that. It’s beautiful, because it really helps you to understand what’s going on behind being an actor, how much it involves.”
In the documentary, Reinhart shared she is proud to stick to her gut feelings about projects that mean something to her. “I really pursue roles and films that are emotionally impactful, or that I feel I can gain something personally from,” she said.
Galle rereads scripts often and fills them with notes. “My life is Surrealist,” she said. “I’ve always dreamed about this, and always worked to be here, to be an actress and spend time with people I admire.”
Yee, a Giorgio Armani global beauty ambassador, had a poetic view of Venice. “The city is like a boat lightly floating on the water, so romantic,” he said.
Hamdi’s desire to be part of Italian culture is longstanding. “I always say that my soul belongs to Italy,” he explained.
Merced said she’s a stereotypical theater kid, very outspoken, who loves to sing everywhere. She added: “I like acting because the value of self-belief and self-doubt are sort of even.”
Peña sometimes gets nervous with fan interactions. “But I guess you just power through it,” he said. “And people are really nice — most of the time.”
“If someone stops me on the street, I’m a little confused,” admitted Briney, of stardom. “It doesn’t really quite make sense to me.”
Stokes’ fame was meteoric during the coronavirus pandemic. “It was bizarre,” he said. “Right when the world reopened, life was different.”
Chase Stokes on the red carpet of the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
Photo by Jacopo Raule / Courtesy of Armani beauty
Mendes started a production company because she craved control. “I wanted to have autonomy over my career,” she said.
Armani beauty chose Prigent to direct the documentary “because of his very authentic style, and also his connection with both the cinema and fashion world,” Pinabel said.
Prigent, who is a journalist, too, said he was drawn to the Armani beauty project due to “the cast, the Armani team, the setting and the moment. It was a dream project.”
He described the filming as relaxed. “It was a parenthesis for them as actors, actresses and producers,” he said. “It was a quiet moment. The camera could be a friend, and we had really intimate talks. Nothing was scripted. It was very genuine.”
Prigent noted each actor, many of whom were already friends, had various experiences with fame and their craft.
“A Few Days in Venice” is going live on YouTube and posted on each talent’ and Prigent’s social networks.
