Spice shopping centre’s promotional short film Finding Yourself shortlisted at Berlin Fashion Film Festival

Films shortlisted at the Berlin Fashion Film Festival were announced last weekend. Out of more than 4,000 candidates, promotional short film of Spice shopping centre, Finding Yourself, is one of the films to be screened at the festival alongside films from such world-famous brands as Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Yeezy.

The Berlin Fashion Film Festival is one of the five biggest events in the fashion and film industry. The festival brings together all the world’s leading fashion brands and film studios to present their films.

“Such recognition is a great honour for shopping centre Spice, a fashion flagship and one of the largest shopping centres in Latvia. Each of our projects, from visual changes at the shopping centre to the message we want to convey to our visitors, entails dedicated work of a professional team. We believe that one feels good when he or she looks good, so our goal is to create an environment that inspires change, creating harmony between one’s inner and outer world. We are pleased to see the name of Spice shopping centre next to world-popular brands, which proves the ability of Latvian creative industry to create modern, high-quality and enjoyable works,” says Iveta Priedīte, Managing Director at Spice and Spice Home shopping centres. 

“Such a collection of the most brilliant films helps one see an interesting global picture and realize what the fashion industry is currently focused on, what problems it is solving and what the current visual trends are. Just like all other industries, this one is also developing very fast and we need to learn from and be inspired by each other all the time. In addition, the festival showcases both the things and techniques that already existed before and are making a comeback now, as well as new developments. Each year there are a couple of films that strikingly mark the start of a new period, and to be present and experience these discoveries is a true pleasure," says Reinis Spaile, the director of the short film nominated for the best fashion film. 

On the other hand, Edgars Kuzmins, creative director at MAGIC (formerly NORD DDB RIGA), emphasizes that being shortlisted at the festival once again confirms that it is possible to create world-class things in Latvia and be on one stage with the world-leading brands.

“One important part of this whole collaboration was great teamwork and the boldness of shopping centre Spice, which was not afraid to break down the boundaries of conventional advertising and merge it with the worlds of high fashion and art. The more courageous and extraordinary we are in our work, the greater the chances of being noticed,” Edgars Kuzmins goes on to say.

Līga Zemture, one of the creative directors of the short film who is also editor in chief of L'Officiel Baltic, L'Officiel Latvia and LIFE Spice Magazine, adds that in the process of making the short film, great attention was paid to every detail in order to put the image video on a par with high fashion brands.

“Undoubtedly, to find yourself among brands whose advertising campaigns have featured world stars Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Kravitz, Olivia Wilde and the world’s top models, and whose short films have been made by some of the most accomplished directors, is an astonishing achievement. I am really proud of what our team has created! Of course, in order for a fashion short film to be able to compete with such giants as Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Yeezy, one must have a very fine sense of what clothes, what pose, what look will be stylish and what will be banal, because fashion has its own rules, its own special communication and, of course, trends that change seasonally. Therefore, as one of the creative directors who is generally responsible for this “fashion sense”, I am very happy that our team was able to create a world-class short film, making it to the top of the fashion industry,” Līga Zemture points out.

The short film is about finding yourself, doubts about one’s identity that each of us experience from time to time. The woman featured in the film gets lost in a stylized subconscious world and seeks to discover who she is. This may be difficult, and the video’s message is “Finding yourself”. The film was shot in a LED Unit virtual studio where three surreal rooms were set up, which is where the young woman got lost. The film’s voiceover was generated by using an AI psychologist to soothe her anxiety.

The shortlisted film can be viewed here:

Berlin Fashion film festival 2022 (best fashion film) FINDING YOURSELF - SPICE