loader image

/ TRIBE /

FLORIAN JOAHN

If you could be whatever you want to be, what would you be?
I would be more patient.

Tell us about your five favorite habits.
I make this general so not about me – I love when people dont take things too serious, when you display kindness to the people you work with, when you take accountability and when you build people up around you and support young talent.

A statement or phrase that describes you?
I always relate to “jack of trades, master of none”.

Do you feel in love?
Not right now as I am answering this question – tired mostly.

Why have you decided to pursue a career in the world of moving picture?
I think it is the format that suits me the best – I have such a love-hate relationship with photography – all my research is based on photographs – rarely films. But when I try to create photographs on my own I find them often too limiting and not satisfying. There is something in film that allows me to be more nuanced and less direct which currently suits me better.

Which director is a source of inspiration for you?
There are specific works of different directors that I always resort to when I feel stuck in my head – Jonas Lindstroems “21 performances”, Jodorowsky’s “Holy Mountain”, Hype Williams “Belly” or “Pina” by Wim Wenders.

What do you think about the relationship between fashion and cinema? To your mind, in what ways could fashion film help both industries?
They belong together – if you have an actor within your film you need to dress them and therefor that piece of clothing becomes a choice and a part of your storytelling. It is about the balance and focus you put on that piece of clothing. I remember 10 years ago when the phrase fashion film was brought up over and over again – but everything we were looking at were just moving photographs of models in a studio with heavy effects on top and some screen mirror technique. I think those times have passed now and directors found ways to tell more interesting narratives that are not only relying on beauty and excess.

Looking back, is there a particular job or story you would like to share?
I would like to share all the jobs I didn’t get and all the jobs I did terrible at. It is easy to portray yourself in a light in which you seem so successful by just curating your output. But there are many opportunities I didn’t get, I wasn’t good enough for or I messed up in the process – I learned to take those experiences in and learn from them not to get bitter about it.

Is there a person, company or group you would like to meet and work with?
Trevante Rhodes would be on top of my list of actors I would like to work with. The other one would be a french choreography group (LA)Horde – they are incredible.

How do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully with a kid and my boyfriend sitting in a farm outside of the city working on my first big movie. That would be amazing.

Tell us something about your experience at Fashion Film Festival Milano.
It really felt like an unbelievable honour to be nominated and win for the festival. Especially when I saw that Lea T was in the Jury because that felt like such an acknowledgement that the intention of IARA came through – I really hope she liked it.