Jallamara Gardner stars in the short film For the Rebels and the Righteous. Photo: Shot from the film directed by Dale Bremner.
Braidwood fashion designer Dena Pharaoh-Pezzano of fashion label Saloon Design House has returned from the Melbourne Fashion Festival with a renewed creative spark after seeing her short fashion film For the Rebels and the Righteous screen in the Capitol Theatre as a part of the event’s annual short-film competition.
The film, directed by commercial filmmaker Dale Bremner, whose paid work includes campaigns for companies such as Lexus, began at a chance meeting in Braidwood. Bremner had been shooting another fashion project in town when the two were introduced, with Bremner connecting to Pharaoh-Pezzano’s slow-fashion ethos that sees fair wages and working conditions for seamstresses that are all local to the region.
“He just really loved what we were doing and the story behind it and the ethics of what we were doing,” Pharaoh-Pezzano told Region.
Moved by the label’s story and values, Bremner offered to create the movie as one of his personal “love projects”, an offer that saw the two collaborate to script and film a powerful and atmospheric short film with Pharaoh-Pezzano’s designs and the landscapes around Braidwood at the heart of the production.
“Dale was inspired by not only the visual aspect of the beauty of Braidwood but also the people,” Pharaoh-Pezzano said.
“He was overwhelmed by the amount of interesting people who live here and their kindness and openness that you often don’t get in bigger cities.”
Kayla, Jallamara and Emily model designs by the Saloon Design House. Photo: Supplied.
The film features a commanding and moving voiceover with a recording of Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and prominent advocate for equality during the American civil rights era.
“I think her voice and what she was trying to say really came across,” Pharaoh-Pezzano said.
“From the response of some people in the audience, that was what held them through the film, that positive and powerful message for equality and for women.”
The film screened in the festival’s global fashion category, alongside works from Finland, South Africa, Indonesia and the US. Other sections included student films and an Australian showcase, some of which focused on First Nations storytelling.
“We were first up in our category, so it was kind of nice to get that over with,” Pharaoh-Pezzano laughed.
Pharaoh-Pezzano went on to explain that the films in her entry’s category varied greatly in style in storytelling. She was particularly struck by a Finnish-South African collaboration shot in the Australian desert.
“They really varied from atmospheric to informative,” she said. “It was a good overview of the industry in its different aspects.”
Although Pharaoh-Pezzano and Bremner’s production didn’t take out their category’s prize, which went to an American entry, she felt it “punched above its weight”.
“Overall, for the category, I think it held its own, and I think Dale should be so proud that it was shown in such a beautiful theatre,” Pharaoh-Pezzano said.
Attending the screening with her was Jallamara Gardner, a model and the lead actor in the film. Pharaoh-Pezzano and Gardner have been working together for several years, with the latter taking the main role in many of the fashion shoots for the Saloon Design House.
“It was a really wonderful opportunity for her as a young woman and as a First Nations woman as well,” Pharaoh-Pezzano said. “She’s very curious about the world, and her parents are really encouraging.”
Dena Pharaoh-Pezzano is full of creative energy after attending the Melbourne Fashion Festival. Photo: Supplied.
The experience has reignited Pharaoh-Pezzano’s excitement for fashion, and she’s looking to the future. Now that she’s more familiar with the short-film process and how it plays out at the fashion festival, she’s open to making more short films but is most excited to return to her designs and continue creating.
“I’d love to do another film; the possibilities are endless,” she said. ”Whether it’s with Dale again, if I can pin him down, or even with a student or someone local, I’d be open to it.”
For the Rebels and the Righteous can be viewed on the Saloon Design House website. Pharaoh-Pezzano creates custom designs, and her commercial collections can be purchased online and at Goldfinch in Kingston, Canberra.
