Sephora is proud to announce the release of its first global film directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Anastasia Mikova presented at BrandStorytelling at Sundance. Titled “Beauty & Belonging,” this film offers a fascinating exploration of the world of beauty and how people around the world define beauty for themselves.
“Beauty & Belonging” is an immersion into conversations with over 75 Sephora employees and founders of iconic beauty brands. For this new creation, Sephora entrusted and gave full freedom to Anastasia Mikova to authentically capture the essence of Sephora’s DNA through her camera. The film was shot in studios and real- life environments for six months and in eight countries – Canada, the USA, Brazil, France, the UK, Poland, Thailand, and China. It explores individual experiences and perspectives on beauty such as the meaning of applying makeup for the first-time as well as the importance of an inclusive view of beauty,and how to free yourself from the gaze of others and stand out in your way. It also includes testimonies from brand founders such as Christine Chang and Sarah Lee from Glow Recipe, Danessa Myricks from Danessa Myricks Beauty, Mario Dedivanovic from Makeup by Mario, Mathilde Thomas from Caudalie, and Akash and Nikita Mehta from Fable & Mane.
Through this film, Sephora celebrates its passionate worldwide community and reaffirms its purpose of championing a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty. “Beauty & Belonging” powerfully reflects how society, culture and peers influence our perception of beauty while Sephora’s commitment is to welcome everyone for who they truly are and feel. By shedding light on the unique personal stories of a diversity of individuals, the film encapsulates Sephora’s core values of inclusion, diversity, and equity, which have been at the heart of the company since its creation.
With this project, Sephora pursues its fruitful collaboration with Anastasia Mikova. Anastasia and Sephora first met, when Sephora sponsored WOMAN, the immersive exhibition based on “Woman”, a film she co-directed with Yann Arthus-Bertrand. As a purpose-driven and outward-looking company, Sephora strongly resonated with Anastasia Mikova’s vision of the world, and her drive to uncover our world’s most compelling societal issues by putting peoples’ lives at the heart of meaningful storytelling.
Guillaume Motte, CEO of Sephora, declared: “I am very proud of this project, which is a first for Sephora. We gave a blank page to Anastasia Mikova to talk about Sephora in her own way. The movie shows how beauty to change lives, and the power of belonging to a caring community. I would like to deeply thank our colleagues who accepted to share their unique story: they are the heart and soul of Sephora. I am also thankful for the trust that inspiring brand founders put in Sephora to be a window into
their unique creative vision and help them grow. Last but not least, I want to thank Anastasia Mikova, who has a unique talent for capturing what makes people beautiful by letting them express their true selves. Her vision and values strongly resonate with ours”.
Anastasia Mikova added “I’ve always been fond of meeting people and discovering their stories—what makes them unique, their journeys, and their perspectives on life. At the same time, I love finding the threads that connect us all as humans and the meaning of beauty across cultures is one of them. Throughout the shoot of the movie, I was able to sense how rich, diverse, and sensitive the Sephora community is, but above all these people are part of one big family.”
The film is available on Sephora’s YouTube channel and Sephora’s corporate site, Inside Sephora. Additionally, many short films will be posted throughout the remainder of the year.
