The Everything Published on 23/08/2018
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A FILM WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY HUMBERTO LEON
KENZO presents “The Everything”, a new film written and directed by Humberto Leon. This is the directorial debut by the accomplished creative director and features KENZO’s Fall-Winter 2018 collections & KENZO – La Collection Memento N°3. Leon is co-creative director of KENZO alongside long-time collaborator Carol Lim.
This is the Fall 2018 installment of a series of campaign films the French fashion house has produced with a different writer/director. Previously KENZO has worked with Gregg Araki, Sean Baker, Carrie Brownstein, Kahlil Joseph, Natasha Lyonne and most recently Ana-Lily Amirpour for her work “YO! MY SAINT!” a video for musician Karen O. The house also collaborated with Spike Jonze for ‘My Mutant Brain’ a commercial for the KENZO World perfume. The films have, along the way, been recipients of multiple international awards.

It’s tough to be a teenager. Romance issues. Budding sexuality. Unfortunate haircuts. And don’t forget the perpetual angst and striving to be cool. These issues are all present in “The Everything”, but it’s a particularly arduous period for the sibling characters in the film. They also must deal with burgeoning superpowers – and ones that aren’t particularly useful.
“The Everything” is the Fall 2018 instalment of the seasonal campaign films that have become a defining component of KENZO – following outings by such directors as Gregg Araki, Sean Baker, Ana Lily Amirpour, Kahlil Joseph, Natasha Lyonne and Carrie Brownstein. Since 2011, co-creative directors, Carol Lim & Humberto Leon have been at the helm of the near 50-year-old French fashion house. This is a particularly personal endeavor for Leon, as it is his behind-the-camera debut. He served as both director and screenwriter, a daunting workload. The film is rife with references and characters close to Humberto’s life and heart. There are cameos from multiple family members and friends, such as director Spike Jonze, and was partly filmed in his hometown of Rosemead, California.
Superstar Milla Jovovich plays the harried matriarch, ‘Georgie’, of the extended paranormal clan. The cast is rounded out by Hollywood heavy hitters Regina Hall and Jay Ellis along with talents Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Sasha Frolova and introducing Zsela & Leo Reilly. The film is redolent of iconic 80s and 90s teen flicks that shaped Humberto’s upbringing. The film reaches its crescendo (as many quintessential teen films do) at homecoming. Luckily, mom was chaperoning the dance and has some skills of her own.
“I’ve always been fascinated by dumb, useless super powers,” explains Leon. “I looked at all their powers almost as the kind of qualities that you get as a human being, whether it’s a big forehead or big ears. I wanted the moral to be that you should accept what you have.”
Carol has fond memories of seeing her partner in action on set. “He was uncompromising but open to listening to the crew and the team,” she says. “Usually we work side by side, with this, it was a different relationship. I don’t want to say I was a confidante, but was definitely less stressful for me! With the amount of characters and complexity of the script, there was a lot to capture.”
And the first-time director delivered. “I really wanted to give the audience something to feel,” he says. “With “The Everything” I think that the viewer can actually walk away with something.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
THE TEASERS
THE CHARACTERS
The backstage imagery was shot by photographer Roman Koval.