Alessio Nessi says fashion is having an affair with cinematic media, video in particular. After all, clothing only becomes fashion when dresses come to life, when narratives, however loose, materialize, when atmospheres gather around silhouettes. And I say: I’m over the moon to be one of the judges of these fashionlicious art works!
Fashion-smashion in Budapest!
Within the framework of the festival Digital Fashion Week offers a new showcase platform to the Hungarian fashion community of designers, photographers, and video artists side-by-side with international participants: replacing the format of traditional runway fashion shows, new collections are presented via fashion videos.
Along with our desire to become an international festival, we would like to create an authentic forum to present the fashion industry of Hungary, bringing recognition to Hungarian designers both domestically and internationally and initiate an ongoing dialogue within the industry in the context of an exciting and forward-looking series of events. Our intent is to provide appropriate communication channels and infrastructure, by including offline and online media, members of the fashion industry and the general public as well.
In recent years the new medium of fashion video – due to its attractive qualities and cost-effective mode of presentation – is gaining increasing popularity on the international fashion scene,which enables designers to keep abreast of rapid shifts in community-generated online media and allows their work to reach the widest audience.
The festival will feature two categories of videos: by-invitation and pre-selected from submissions through an open competition. The best featured videos will receive prizes from a relevant professional jury: Kathryn Ferguson, film and video director, Maroy Krisztina, Glamour magazine editor-in-chief, Lakatos Márk, stylist, tv personality, teacher, Oltai Kata, curator of Museum Ludwig – Contemporary Art Museum, Zanin Éva, founder&CEO of Sonntag Media, aestete, fashion critic, Martinkó József, design and architecture critic, journalist, Fliglauf Benedek, film director, Pálos Máté, filma esthete, editor of film magazine Prizma, Andreas Waldschuetz, video director… and myself, Steiner Kristóf, journalist, and – as they called me very kindly on the program sheet – pop culture expert.
In addition to the video screenings, the festival offers a variety of programs. There will be a slew of petcha kutcha presentations, interactive installation and film screenings on the topics of fashion and new media. Fashion meets culture in Hungary? I’m lovong it!
Star of the Iron Man films and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, super cute Robert Downey Jr. has a long and colourful cinema career… and a reputation of not always being on the top. I met the actor and his co-star Zach Galifianakis in London to talk about their his film Due Date, where they both offered their opinions on comedy acting, spitting on dogs and pinching your fellow actors…
Rob still got it…
How do you feel when you’re offered parts that aren’t entirely normal?
Zach Galifianakis (ZG): I only get … I really haven’t been offered a lot of parts except by Todd, but they’re never normal. But I prefer that … I like it.
Robert Downey Jnr (RDJ): This just reminded me … it had the potential to be like some of the films tonally that I’d grown up really enjoying, and that impacted me. But it had its own sensibility, obviously as it’s a Todd Phillips movie, and then it was just an incredibly creative venture.
How did you develop your screen chemistry?
RDJ: (Looks at Zach) Don’t just stand there with glistening eyes, answer the fucking question!
ZG: Yes, sir.
RDJ: He’s formulating his answer to the question now, while he stumbles getting ready to answer the question.
ZG: I think you’re seeing the chemistry in action, this is basically how it went down each morning: insults, insults, insults, and then somehow magically and beautifully some of that energy was put into the movie, quite honestly. Pretty good answer, huh?
In comedy how far is too far, and that’s for everyone but especially Zach?
RDJ: He’s the wrong person to ask.
ZG: I think with Todd’s movies, that’s the whole point, to go too far. Sometimes in comedy I would imagine you have to do that because so many beats have been done in movies before but the good thing about Todd is that there are things, like a masturbating dog, that you haven’t seen since the old silent films.
Is it true that you were allergic to the dog?
ZG: I have an allergy to certain … Yes, I got a hair in my eye and my eye got big but there’s not much of a story there.
Robert, this is a question not about this film…
RDJ: What is the pertinence? What the fuck is wrong with you people, can’t we just talk about what we’re going to talk about?
It’s about your career?
RDJ: I’m sorry, go ahead.
You’re very successful right now…
RDJ: Yeah, right now. I love the preface. What’s with the passive aggression? What’s the fucking question?
And you’ve had ups and downs in your life...
RDJ: Oh fuck, here we go. Couldn’t have called it.
Was it a hard struggle, when you came back after years of…
RDJ: Next question please.
Zach, your character seems very camp in the film. What is this very gay thing what you are doing?
Director Todd Phillips (TP): He’s not playing a gay.
Yes, I know that, that’s why I don’t understand why is he acting like very stereotypical one.
ZG: I think the character is theatrical and emotional and a little show offy and if that’s gay then I’m gay. Todd and I discussed that, we didn’t want him to be seen either way.
TP: We wanted to make sure he came off as asexual but we made a point of pointing out that he lost his virginity at nine-years-old to Sheila Pimples, so there’s a badge of heterosexuality I think.
RDJ: There was more to that, wasn’t there?
TP: Well it used to be his dad’s secretary but people had issues with that.
ZG: Heart of gold but slow typist.
You’ve worked with Todd on three films in short space of time, so is he the love of your life?
ZG: To be honest, Todd is the … (rattles cup and saucer in mock embarrassment) I’m very fortunate that Todd and I got to meet because I don’t think I would have been given this big an opportunity from other directors who saw what he did … whatever he saw. And we do work very well together and I’m very appreciative and I do think about it every day, because he texts me to remind me!
Robert, you spat on the dog, how did it take to that?
RDJ: I think one of the things I love about Due Date is that I get kicked off the plane and then the guys says: “The person you travelled with …” And I say: “I’ve never met that dipshit in my life!” And he says: “He had nothing but nice things to say about you.” And Todd Phillips said: “Just to make it definitive that you don’t want to hang out with this clown anymore, just spit in his dog’s face.” It was right after lunchtime and I said: “No, isn’t that going too far?” And he said: “Spit in the dog’s face … I love dogs, he doesn’t mind.” So, I spat in the dog’s face and Sonny [the dog] was just like: “Ooh, what happened? Did he have to get something out of his throat or something? I hope he feels better …” And I was thinking: “My God, what is wrong with us?” That’s the great thing about comedies and particularly with Todd being at the front of that bloodline right now, I see the process both on the set when we were figuring out what to do with the scenes and then at early test screenings and stuff. There was this thing that we all agreed was hugely outrageous, this moment in act three when I finally asked him: “How did your Dad pass away, I never knew?” And Zach turns to me and says: “Oh, sharing needles …” You’re thinking: ‘That’s so wrong!’ But Todd says: “Well, let’s see what the audience thinks …” And they were like, ‘That’s sick, I’m going to walk out!’
ZG: I thought it would be funny to see on the credits ‘Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx … a dog … Zach Galifianakis’.
Are you more comfortable in comedy or drama?
RDJ: I’m equally comfortable doing any medium. The thing about comedy, if that’s what you want to call this – I call it spectacularity – is it’s more light-hearted and Todd runs a set that is just a very small group of people making fundamental decisions with a very trusting studio’s money. My dad was saying to me, and my dad was a maker of underground films back in the late ‘60s and stuff, and he said this reminds me of the kind of stuff me and my friends would be doing if we had the opportunity nowadays. So, keep hope alive.
What was the first meeting between the two of you like and is it true Robert that you wanted to punch Zach?
RDJ: (Smiling) Susan was there, my wife, and she was worried for me, I don’t tend to recognise people and I didn’t know exactly who Zach was yet. (Looking towards his wife) What was my reaction? I looked like I was going to drop him on the pavement? I don’t like punching Zach … but it has to be done.
ZG: He doesn’t punch me, he pinches me …
RDJ: I do pinch him … Yes (pinches him again)
ZG: And it drives me absolutely (swerving the pinch) … absolutely insane!
As I reported it previously, not so long tome ago I hosted a Nooka designer exhibition in Budapest, followed by a kick-as party by Larry Tee. Now I discovered that the super cool Nooka creator, Matthew Waldman was kind enough to include me in his blog. Let’s se what an ultimate new yorker has to say about Hungary, Budapest… and me. Thanx Matthew!
“budapest is a city i have always wanted to visit – rich history, their language is an isolate on the european continent [it's an altaic language more closely related to finnish, mongolian, japanese and korean than to any other groups], they have a culture of spending long afternoons in thermal baths, and the danube is a famous river. i was not disappointed!
my reason for coming was the hungarian custom nookanooka show organized by csap viktor, our man on the ground in budapest. the show featured 35 local artists, and i was blown-away by the enthusiasm and craft the artists applied to the competition. i will update the nookanooka pages on our website as soon i get the official photographs and artists bios from csap. larry tee was dj at the after party, and it was great catching up with him [i haven't seen larry since he moved to london]. i got to become friends with the madonna of hungary, kristóf steiner who splits his time between budapest and tel aviv and was our emcee for the evening. really great guy!
the only unfortunate thing was some planning issues, mainly the may day holiday weekend. like NYC on labor day, more than half of the city was out-of-town! hopefully the show will travel within buda or pest to continue the buzz when the city is back to full-tilt! i’ll keep you posted.
so, let me end by saying, if you haven’t thought of it, visit budapest! it’s affordable, extremely bicycle friendly [i rented a bike for 2 days and it was AMAZING] and full of things to do. as for best thermal, i recommend széchenyi. gallért is more famous [matthew barney's cremaster cycle was partly filmed there] but not as nice overall [poorly signed, only some of the staff are helpful]. széchenyi is in a beautiful park with an amusement part and museums, so you can kill a whole day there!”
