Those simple pleasures. Life just wouldn’t be the same without them. It can be the most modest of things.
A taste of that very special chocolate you can only get in that hidden away shop that you choose to keep a secret. Or feeling the warm sun on your face after a period of hibernation from the brutal British weather.
Some pleasures can be more offbeat. Demonstrating that pleasure has no age limit, the secret indulgence featured in ‘Zap’, by Patrick Downing gives us a filmic peak into the private world of an extremely dapper, elderly couple who have a rather unusual craving. We see them as they eye each other up and begin to slide towards one another along a long carpeted corridor. Their motion creates friction. So much friction that when they come together and finally touch the sparks literally fly; their static shock moment of pleasure. Respected stylist and blogger, Ari Seth Cohen, was on hand on set to document the creation of the film as well as capturing some great shots that get right behind the spirit of the piece.
The film is one of three created by the winners of the Magnum ice cream Vie Magnifique ‘Be True to Your Pleasure’ competition set up by i-D in collaboration with Magnum ice cream and Xavier Dolan. Canadian filmmaker, Dolan, has already carved a fearsome reputation for delivering provocative, thoughtful and visually stimulating films such as his debut, “I Killed My Mother” which went on to win the Prix Regards Jeunes at Cannes in 2009.
Taking Magnum Ice Cream’s rather joyful philosophy that a day without pleasure is a day lost as its mantra, the competition winners were invited to create short films mentored by Dolan exploring what it means to be true to your pleasure.
Dolan himself selected the three winning filmmakers: Kara Smith, Andrew Cumming and of course Downing. Andrew Cummings’ film, Kai, tells the tale of a dance student who is working herself into the ground training in the thing she loves the most. She comes to the realization that she needs to let go and allow a little joy back into her world. We also get to see a film whose premise is based on the pleasure of following your heart and this is skillfully presented in Wild Space by Kara Smith.
