Mill Paris | Louis XIII Cognac ‘Believe in Time’ x Solange Knowles
A symbol of the French art de vivre, Louis XIII cognac has been an institution since 1874. Since its creation, seven cellar masters have succeeded one another, each continuing the work of his predecessor, making this cognac a work of patience and know-how over several generations. For its film “Believe in Time”, Louis XIII Cognac wanted to highlight its artisanal legacy through the personality of Solange Knowles, singer and sister of Beyoncé.
In an explosion of colours or an artistic big bang, the planet Earth slowly emerges from the shadows. Solange’s voice tells us the story of evolution, cradled by the first notes of the double bass that can be heard. Time is the key to evolution and its power is undeniable. All the wonders of nature that we know are the result of billions of years of evolution. Humanity, too, continues along the path of time, forging its technicality and sensitivity to the world around it along the way. As the story progresses, the music that lulls us to sleep grows. The first jazz chords on the piano are added to the double bass, followed by the timid melody of a brass instrument. From the inert to the living, on a small or large scale, time acts on the existing, and creates the unrealisable.
The film directed by Mati Diop (represented by the production Division and Jules de Chateleux), winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, proposes a mystified version of the message “Believe in time” through the concept of creation and time. He praises cognac, drawing a parallel between the creation of the universe and the creative process of singer Solange Knowles. In a sequence of realistic scenes interspersed with imaginary shots, we are immersed in several temporalities and universes that poetically relate the creative process.
Our motion design and matte painting team managed to create a real interaction between distinct worlds while respecting the universe of the brand, the artist and the director. The multiplicity of landscapes, organic elements, or the heart of Solange’s sumptuous jewellery serve the brand’s message with elegance and simplicity.
“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.”
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