Izia La Nuit

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As Sonia sprays Izia la Nuit, we are immediately transported into her thoughts and begin a sensorial journey through the 5 stages of love: falling, wonder, growth, peace & change.

Shot in a majestic French chateau in the outskirts of Paris. Built-in the mid-17th century and owned by a series of French aristocrats, the chateau stood in for parts of President Snow’s mansion in Hunger Games, one of the most successful film franchises in recent history starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Each distinct stage of love is a distinctly crafted tableau designed by both particle and special effects, as well as tailored couture dresses by Giambattista Valli.

Director Statement

Much like anything in life, a journey of self-discovery is imminent when reaching for anything worthwhile. Love is the ultimate journey.

Having worked with Sisley-Paris for several years now, I have always had a brief or preconceived concept they wanted me to work off of. But when they wanted to develop their most ambitious film yet for Izia la Nuit, they had no story they wanted to tell. So I came up with an original idea.

This is one of those ads that is inspired by my narrative background. I really wanted each scene to feel like a tableau. And so I linked each of them using what I dubbed the 5 stages of LOVE. These stages all represent what most of us go through once we are in love. First, we fall into love… truly, madly, deeply. Then the questions arrive, and we aren't so certain anymore as we must face life-changing compromises to stay in that love. This will always lead to maturity or spiritual growth. And if we are ready for it, we find a certain peace and balance. All this leads to the birth of something inside. We ultimately change forever.

An interesting side note… I met Sonia, my protagonist when she started her career at 17. She has been the brand ambassador of Sisley Paris for the past 4 years. At the moment we shot this film, she had fallen deeply in love for the first time. My muse had poetically become a true reflection of my work.

Amaro Shake

AMARO is a French-American director based in Paris.

He has been a filmmaker ever since he can remember. His international upbringing, his father being Southeast-Asian and mother Eastern-European, has definitively shaped his filmmaking immeasurably. Amaro grew up consuming films from all over the world, making him fall in love with the art of it.

Growing up in LA, he quickly found his way onto Hollywood sets, working on film and tv shows, all while studying film production at the same time. It was when he moved to Paris, France, that he found his lane in luxury ads. He has been in Paris, making ads for high-end cosmetic and luxury brands since 2014.

His vision is lavish, and he has an eye for the aesthetic, which is complemented by his keen sense of storytelling. Now firmly grounded in the advertising world, Amaro still finds time to create narrative works that range from stylized short films & music videos. He is always looking for his next story to tell.