Picture Me: A Model's Diary (Documentary Film)

[MulletProof]

I get the impression that her own involvement or touching the topic per se is not what moved her to tears but probably the ice cold air of being very much on her own in this 'battle', which she is probably just getting to feel intensely now that the film is really getting out and people that originally supported her are starting to back out (evident when she talks about her model friend's request to be pulled out of the documentary), I think it must be a little scary to be in her position as she's not just a reporter that sneaked into sketchy territory... the doors were basically opened for her and she certainly established real friendships there, all under the condition of complicity.

I have enormous admiration for what she's doing.. it really takes some strong character and determination not just to have done and released this but to have prioritized your values from the very beginning in an industry that seduces just about everyone (regardless of their age or background), leading them into finding more satisfaction in praising and trying to justify instead of going through the hard and risky task of observing and questioning the business they're in.

It also couldn't have been all bad for her either, she could have listed off some positive experiences that she had as well and not just paint a picture of the fashion industry being this horrible place where everyone is a sexual predator, and no one looks out for you.. ​

This is the same argument people use when they watch the news 'all these awful news, isn't there something nice to talk about??', it seems to me that news should ideally be presented by order of importance.. as a citizen your duty isn't just to be informed but to put pressure on those that 'manage' your safety/economy/whatever and fix a situation that concerns and ultimately affects your community, right?.. if there's a damaged road that's causing accidents, it seems rather dumb to ask a network to take the time to show how pretty some roads are instead of the one that's a threat to everyone, including those with access to television and means to improve it.
Collective awareness = pressure. That's why the governments fear it.
Unfortunately there are plenty of bad news and shortage of time/space thus most news consist of bad news..

Applying this into the fashion industry... unlike news networks, the fashion industry doesn't give a damn about 'orders of importance', they'll show you how they have a woman that can make you or break you (The Devil Wears Prada/The September Issue), how luxurious and secretive those that purchase Haute Couture are and how this guy from upstate NY made it to LV realms.. that is sticking to a pretty and false picture of a system that on many levels operates worst or just like third-world factories.. if they'd change that, that industry would be as pretty and perfect as it's shown in the HC documentary but it's not and no one's criticizing it until now.. why should Sara take the time to edit out all the material she has 2, 3 hours of her film to present just to make room for "the good news" when this is an industry that clearly suffers from a ''good news'' syndrome and worsens through its insistence to sweep all criticism under the rug?.

She's showing far more responsibility than anyone in there right now, and unfortunately, she's out of it exactly for that.

... can't wait till this is released in a theater nearby.. I guess it'll reach pirate sites eventually but I think we should all pay to see it to increase the numbers for her.
​

 

[JCFS]

^ well thats not at all what I meant, from what i've seen it looks like she's only showing the negative side of her experience of being a model, she could have just as easily showcased bolth sides to give a true representation of what its like from the models perspective and if your going to be one sided about it youre not exactly going to show that are you?

right?.. if there's a damaged road that's causing accidents, it seems rather dumb to ask a network to take the time to show how pretty some roads are instead of the one that's a threat to everyone, including those with access to television and means to improve it.

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Well that would be like saying talking about her bad expierence and then talking about another models completely good one....
when I would really like to know bolth sides of hers, the full story of HER modeling career the good and the bad....which this movie is about isnt it, the real side to modeling...it couldnt have been all bad?

 

[MulletProof]

I haven't seen the documentary but judging by the clips, it seems less personalised, she has the testimonies of other girls and they're not talking about Sara's career, they're talking about their own experiences, so it seems more like a crude look into an industry through firsthand witnesses rather than a documentary about her years as a model. It is her footage, she's her 'director', so she's inevitably involved but I don't think it's really about her career.

Also not sure how one-sided it is to talk about the areas that concern you in the profession you work(ed) in, like I said previously, there's plenty of material that touches the positive side of modeling only, from FTV videos all over youtube to actual documentaries and fictional stories (movies) that celebrate the positive side of modeling.. to have one person presenting couple of hours of real-life footage that (at moments) denounce only a handful of abuses.. I think it succeeds at doing what a documentary in its most basic notion should, which is creating awareness, generating a balance for viewers interested in learning more about the reality of the business (who, so far, have only been exposed to stories about the pretty life of models) and serves as a weapon for those with the nerve of demanding a change.

 

[cul8tr]

^ well thats not at all what I meant, from what i've seen it looks like she's only showing the negative side of her experience of being a model, she could have just as easily showcased bolth sides to give a true representation of what its like from the models perspective and if your going to be one sided about it youre not exactly going to show that are you?

I have to dissagree with you. We only saw few minutes from the movie and of course, it must be more negative than positive. We all know positive aspects of this job. there is many movies which show it all - Spetmeber Issue, Sex and The city, the Devil Wears Prada, ... there you can see the glamorous world that every girl dreams about every night. I guess, it's not another "September Issue" film. Picture Me is a real documentry and it shows a real model life 24/7, with all happy and sed aspects in the same time. On one hand Sara was so happy that she earned 80.000$ and she'll be able to buy/do things she dreamed about for so many years. And on the other hand, she sad when she's talking about taking pictures by some photographer, when she was changing the outfits during fashion show. I think it shows the other part of this job. The part that we haven't seen yet. Everybody knows that models are too skinny, too young, treated like robots/hangers/.... but there's no one who show it yet. In that case, I think Picture Me is a great movie, becauce after watching it you can make your own opinion about industry. Don't get me wrong, I love fashion, I love all documetries I've seen so far, but life is not so sweet as we can see in the magazines.


I really recommend "Les Filles en Vogue". It's a great documentry, not so glamorous as "September issue". It shows all good and bad parts of the job.

 

[barbiestolemyDVN]

lols are we forgetting the showing of the paycheck that was 80,000?!? Thats a major postive

 

[Northern Star]

I have seen the movie/docu and I can assure everyone that she does not only focus on the negative side of the industry. There are many moments where Sara is very happy and I still concur that having her boyfriend with her throughout this kept her sane.
This is a very honest diary of what happened to her. Sara is extremely smart and from a good background, so this isn't some rags to riches tale, and everything turned out fine.....a la Natalia Vodianova....it didn't work out for her, and this wasn't because she wasn't wanted in the industry anymore.....she had had enough. This is the story she decided to tell in this docu and there are lots of other models involved with similar stories to tell.
I am so pleased that this is getting the recognition it deserves.

 

[BaBorrow]

Please bring this movie to GUAM!

 

[iperlchen]

I wish my English was better to explain my point. The reason Sara had to make her documentary this way is because of fashion only showing a one-sided view. So no such thing as pointing out the obvious positives which we can all too easily see for ourselves. The fashion industry sells promise.

It seems the industry automatically erases a negative when it comes up. Possibly because of the commercial nature of its existence - to sell a promise. That is the biggest error. Fashion is this whirlwind and once caught up in it most people work by the existing values to get ahead. That's why there are so few to dare admit things are wrong. Like Mullet pointed out, it should be applauded how Sara prioritized her own human values.

I can't wait to see it and hope for people to unite and make a change.

 

[FrenchCactus]

This is a very honest diary of what happened to her. Sara is extremely smart and from a good background, so this isn't some rags to riches tale, and everything turned out fine.....a la Natalia Vodianova....it didn't work out for her, and this wasn't because she wasn't wanted in the industry anymore.....she had had enough. This is the story she decided to tell in this docu and there are lots of other models involved with similar stories to tell.

Natalia tells her story that way, probably because she doesn't want to talk about her hardships in the industry, among other reasons, but it was definitely not a golden path all along.
Pictures of her as a starting model have surfaced (and have been swept under the rug) from her time in Turkey and they are not high-fashion at all if you see what I mean . Her agency asked her to loose a lot of weight at some point and she began to have serious health issues. The way she met her husband shows that she was used to those dinners where models are hired to keep playboys company. She barely had enough money when she started modelling in Paris to buy food.
She's lucky to be in the place she is now and it's admirable that she's giving back with her charity foundation, but it was definitely a bumpy road.

 

[j.cruz146]

that's how it is with all models. all models at some point have a rough path to go thru to get big. and if they get big fast. without having to do anything. they get put out so fast that they start the rough path like that. trying to get back in. but i agree with everything that MulletProof has said. this movie i hope brings change to everybody! this industry needs to change the way it treats their models. new and established alike.

 

[Bamhutt]

There's an article on isaaclikes.com about the darker side of male modelling, it probably ties in with this thread well: http://www.isaaclikes.com/2010/09/1480-dirty-work-my-feature-on-male.html#more

And then there are the creeps – predatory men who offer money and fame in exchange for sexual favours, and who have the power to kill careers if scorned. The drugs and drinks flow freely up the noses and down the throats of vulnerable boys barely old enough to drive. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle. If one says no, there’s always another waiting to take his place.

“The industry’s too fickle not to be fickle,” he explains. “It’s definitely a game. And the people who play the game do better than the people who don’t.”

There’s another, far less palatable option available to young men who don’t make it, says Doe. ”I’ve known a couple of models who in Europe resorted to finding a secondary ‘red-light’ income to help pay the rent.” Raubenheimer’s seen it too. “A lot of the Brazilian boys get paid €400 per night to go have dinner with these older ladies and sleep with them. They can make €1600 a week, cash in hand.”

“There was one in Milan who started shooting me, and then he touched my ****. I said, ‘Listen, that’s not my game. That’s fine, dude, [as a] one-off, you got your jollies…’ Then he did it again and I punched him in the face. I got thrown off the job but, basically, I’m not going to put up with that.

“Modelling gives you a lot, but it can also take a lot from you. If you’re a strong person, then do it. Be realistic, know you’re replaceable and that ultimately you need to do something that you were meant to do with your life. A lot of people want and dream of it, idolise modelling even, when in reality they don’t mentally have what it takes to get a positive experience and become a better person from it. Like I said, you’re replaceable as a model, but your memory’s not.”

 

[Marjon]

great thread!
& thanks for sharing bamhutt.

 

[petit fours]

I`so,so excited .Can not wait to watch the film.

 

[FrenchCactus]

Last week, we posted the first two installments of filmmakers Sara Ziff and Ole Schell's Cut-exclusive, three-part mini-series about the modeling industry. Each webisode takes on a topic Ziff and Schell tackle in their documentary, Picture Me, which opened Friday at Angelika Film Center. Youth, money, and exploitation are common threads both in the feature-length film and parts one and two of the mini-series; the third and final segment, not surprisingly, investigates issues of weight, body image, and racial diversity (specifically, the lack thereof). Says Ziff, "At BCBG, I was struck by the homogeneity of the cast of rail-thin, tall, blond models. When I was one of the models walking in the shows, I saw the subtle differences between us, but it's eerie how similar the models look from a distance. En masse, they look like interchangeable, disposable clothes hangers — not memorable individuals."
Models Vanessa Perron and Amy Lemons and journalists Derek Blasberg and Elizabeth Wellington all weigh in on the topics, which the tall, Caucasian Ziff admits she never gave much thought before now: "Nobody talked about it, and only recently have model friends opened up about the pressure from their agencies to prevent their young bodies from developing naturally."
Her big hope? That agents, casting directors, and other industry types who actually can make a difference will. "When I went on castings, sometimes I would see notes on my schedule specifying 'no ethnic girls.' If this happened in any other business, it would be grounds for a lawsuit," says Ziff. "But in fashion, it's considered a matter of taste."

Link to the last video on the Cut
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/09/exclusive_video_sara_ziffs_pic_2.html

 

[Fantomette]

^ Here the youtube's link

 

[RobertGeorge]

It was details of the shoot that scared me in this interview with Sena Cech. Presumably burned the cornea of her eye.

http://gawker.com/5639572/an-inside-account-of-the-shady-side-of-modeling

 

[Merenkoff]

Hey guys, does anyone have a video or torrent link to download the film?

 

[Susann]

I watched it on the airplane yesterday and thought it wa really good!!!

 

[Paws]

^That's good to hear........
it really does sound so interesting.

 

[Bamhutt]

Yay! I saw an advert for it here in NZ, I'm gonna watch it at the cinemas