Doha Film Institute
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Special Screening

This eloquent tribute follows the creative “geographies” shaped by Franca Sozzani, charting how a singular editor became an enduring mentor to designers and image-makers across the world. Through closely observed interviews and personal contributions from family members to leading fashion voices, the film traces a practice rooted in curiosity, rigour and care. Careers are not merely discovered; they are nurtured, challenged and refined within a dialogue that values distinct voices and the power of difference.
This eloquent tribute follows the creative “geographies” shaped by Franca Sozzani, charting how a singular editor became an enduring mentor to designers and image-makers across the world. Through closely observed interviews and personal contributions from family members to leading fashion voices, the film traces a practice rooted in curiosity, rigour and care. Careers are not merely discovered; they are nurtured, challenged and refined within a dialogue that values distinct voices and the power of difference.

As collaborators revisit decisive encounters, a philosophy comes into focus: success is never instantaneous but the result of time, attention and collective work. The filmmakers assemble these testimonies into a “visual cosmology”, where iconic moments and private memories cohere into a living archive. Rather than closing a chapter, the film opens a path towards mentorship as method, responsibility as inspiration and diversity as the engine of originality. In its graceful movement between past and future, it honours a legacy that continues to illuminate the possibilities of fashion, and the people who make it.

Credits

Director
Federica Cellini & Francesco Zippel
Screenwriter
Federica Cellini & Francesco Zippel
Producer
Qatar Museums and Doha Film Institute by Quoiat Films
Executive Producer
Federica Cellini, Federica Paniccia and Francesco Zippel with Franca Sozzani
Cinematographer
Martina Cocco
Editor
Daria De Pascale

About the Director

Federica Cellini
Federica Cellini is a director and documentarian whose work addresses social issues across Europe, the US, the Middle East, the Balkans and Africa. Her documentaries have won the Ilaria Alpi Award, Prix Italia, New York Festivals TV & Film Award and Sichuan TV Festival Gold Panda Award. She has created installations and live performances, taught at Georgetown University and the Holden School, and
Francesco Zippel
Francesco Zippel is a director and producer active in documentary cinema since the early 2000s. His ‘Friedkin Uncut’ (2018) premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, won the Silver Ribbon for Best Documentary on Cinema and was a David di Donatello finalist. His subsequent works include ‘Oscar Micheaux – The Superhero of American Cinema’ (Cannes, Special Silver Ribbon 2022), ‘Sergio Leon