Florescence

Exploring the Iconography and Symbolism of Plants’ Reproductive Systems

Directed by D I • A L 

(Alice Gatti & Diego Indraccolo)

Words by Katie Huelin

Art, science fashion, and storytelling beautifully intertwine in Florescence, the latest short film from D I • A L directors Alice Gatti & Diego Indraccolo. This vibrant visual essay merges biological facts with authentic insights, offering a contemporary exploration of the iconography and symbolism within plant reproductive systems. In doing so, it dismantles conventional human perceptions of gender and sexuality.

“Certain beliefs are so embedded in our thinking that we rarely stop to ask why they exist,” the directors explain. With Florescence, viewers are invited to do just that - confronting ingrained assumptions and challenging simplistic notions of gender.

Florescence is a "visual essay” dismantling the human misconception about the gender of flowers, and humans simultaneously. How did you conceptualise the idea of personifying flowers with people and how did you go about translating this message onto the screen?

We knew we wanted to make a movie about flowers, but we didn’t initially set out to explore gender stereotypes. That aspect emerged slowly, very organically. While we were aware of the association between flowers and femininity, our research into their biological and cultural significance made us question that assumption. As we went deeper, it became clear that our original idea needed evolving into something more meaningful. And so to fully explore these new concepts, it became essential to assemble a cast that could metaphorically expand on the themes we were delving into.

Lyla Cheng’s bold and androgynous styling feels integral to the film. What role did fashion play in expressing themes of freedom and vibrancy whilst dismantling stereotypes? How did the styling choices for the cast evolve to reflect their individuality, while aligning with Florescence's overarching message of embracing fluidity?

We always imagined this project as a fashion film, as we felt the language of fashion was perfectly suited to capture the aesthetics of flowers - from outrageous flamboyance to elegant minimalism. That’s why we brought Lyla on board very early in the process.

As the script evolved, we began assigning distinct characters to each cast member, adjusting them slightly to align with the actors portraying them. From a 'Pagan Priestess' to an extravagant 'Narcissus,' from an 'Art Lover' to a 'Grieving Man,' and many more, these characters needed to convey a narrative while still being perceived, at first glance, as simply models in a fashion film.

Lyla beautifully bridged the gap between costume design and fashion, bringing creativity to the forefront while staying true to the brief.

Building on the previous question, the cast brings diverse perspectives that ground the narrative with authenticity. How did you select this cast, and in what ways did their personal insights shape the final work?

We often work in advertising, where casting is typically constrained by specific requirements. This time we finally had the freedom to hold an open casting call—welcoming people of any ethnicity, gender, including non-binary and gender-nonconforming individuals. We made it explicitly clear to the models’ agents that this was a queer-friendly project. While the images weren’t necessarily explicit, the film would have clear sexual undertones. It was important to us that everyone involved fully understood the nature of the project and, just as crucially, felt comfortable and safe on set.

Prioritising this in the casting process brought an incredible response, leading us to the extraordinary ensemble you see in Florescence.

The young, eclectic group we ended up working with was so captivating and brimming with beautiful energy that, during the shoot, we decided to do brief interviews with them. We hoped to capture a soundbite here or a visual snippet there, just extra material to experiment with in the edit. That’s when the real magic happened! They opened up to us with candour, authenticity, and a refreshing lack of inhibition.

This unexpected layer of depth and insight became impossible to ignore during the editing process. Once again, Florescence evolved into something far more meaningful than we had originally envisioned.

Florescence seamlessly blends biological exploration and cultural symbolism, crafting a narrative that feels both grounded and abstract. With its ever-changing tone, how did you use these themes to balance provoking thought with an engaging story that doesn’t feel preachy?

Irony and humour helped us steer clear of the 'preachy' or overly serious tone sometimes associated with these topics, whilst the more sombre parts of the film are dedicated to describe facts, or simply to show off the striking beauty of flowers.

We kept the voiceover pretty much fact based and rooted in biology hoping it would come across as “interesting little known facts about flowers”. In contrast, the interviews provided authentic and spontaneous insights—real opinions and life experiences from our cast—underlining the vast spectrum of definitions associated with femininity, masculinity, and gender in general.

Moreover, we managed on a few occasions to have the actors “interact” with the voice over, creating this feeling of a seamless narrative that “naturally” develops without forcing an agenda.

“With Florescence, we start with something universally familiar and widely accepted, urging viewers to pause and reconsider what’s often taken for granted.”

Sarah Eisenfisz’s original score and Smider Noise’s sound design blend seamlessly with the vivid visuals. How did you approach integrating sound and music to accompany the use of complementary colours in Florescence?

Both Sarah and Guido (the man behind Smider Noise) are long-standing collaborators we frequently work with in advertising. Some scenes in the project were particularly demanding in terms of music and its development, such as the “priestess spawning spring” sequence with blooming flowers or the evocative “bathtub” scene. Sarah is not only an amazing composer but also a talented solo artist who performs under the name Hezen. Her style is truly unique. Guido, on the other hand, is a seasoned professional who excels at tackling a wide variety of projects. As a composer himself, he has an exceptional ability to strike the delicate balance between music and sound effects, enhancing both in the final mix.

Since you mentioned the film’s vibrant colors, we must highlight Diego La Rosa, our brilliant colorist. His work is always stunning, staying true to the original vision of the cinematography while elevating it to the next level. For this project, we wanted a distinctively “analogue” aesthetic despite shooting digitally. Diego delivered, achieving an organic, vibrant look that feels natural yet never over the top.

Practical effects such as burning, drowning, and battering flowers are used to symbolise societal constraints. How did Matteo Stefan’s approach to these effects shape the film’s emotionality of scenes?

We had a very clear vision of what these still lifes were meant to convey. We understood that they could be pushed in an explicit, sensual direction while remaining tasteful, effectively illustrating the wide spectrum of tastes and desires that could never be fully represented with the actual talent.

Matteo Stefan’s remarkable skills made it possible to achieve everything we envisioned in a practical, safe, and efficient manner. Moreover, for every request, he provided techniques that could be consistently replicated across multiple takes, ensuring we captured the desired effect with maximum impact. Matteo is a true talent from a bygone era, a time when practical effects were the only option. He is, without a doubt, a master of Special Effects.

These scenes, combined with the audacious ideas and razor-sharp edits of our editor Matteo Motzo, resulted in some truly provocative sequences.

Alice and Diego, as co-directors for the film, you’ve remarked that "certain beliefs are so embedded in our thinking that we rarely stop to ask why they exist.” Through working on Florescence, can you share with us any key beliefs you hope to bring to the surface and have viewers reflect upon?

We are fortunate to live in progressive cities and work environments—rare bubbles where the gender discourse is more evolved. Yet, as a directing duo, we still sense the differing expectations placed upon us, shaped purely by gender—male or female. What’s striking is that we experience this even from well-informed individuals who you’d never associate with bigotry or sexism.

It’s sobering to imagine how restrictive, and even devastating, this binary mindset can be outside these progressive spaces—an issue magnified exponentially for those who don’t conform to binary labels. We live in a heteronormative world, with these norms ingrained from childhood.

Questioning the status quo becomes incredibly challenging if you lack a personal reason to do so. Societal norms are often accepted without question—a framework that may function for some things but can be profoundly limiting for others.

With Florescence, we start with something universally familiar and widely accepted, urging viewers to pause and reconsider what’s often taken for granted:

Is there something inherently feminine about flowers? What even are flowers? What defines femininity? And why are the positive qualities attributed to both flowers and femininity often viewed negatively when associated with masculinity?

Through Florescence, we hope to spark these thoughts and discussions in a way that is both fun and engaging.

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Written and Directed: D I • A L  (Alice Gatti & Diego Indraccolo)

Starring: (in Alphabetic order) 

Angel

Amelie Robertson

Camron J Wellington

Danya Nikiforov

Erfan Tavasoli

Janni Lima

John Tauras

Klym

Larissa Almeida

Lui Opoku-Adjei

Richmond Yeboah

Safe

Sema Tawi

Uma Vethakkan

Narrated by Helen Scott 

Recording Angus Scott, Helen Scott 

Cinematography Diego Indraccolo

Editing Matteo Motzo + D I • A L 

Stylist Lyla Cheng

Original Music Sarah Eisenfisz

Sound Design & Mix Smider Noise

Color Grading Diego La Rosa

Voice-over script D I • A L, Tobias Pierce

UK Unit 

Producer Peter Wilson 

Production assistant CHARLES MCGEACHIE

Second unit director Johnny Ho

First Assistant Camera FLYNN DENISON

Second Assistant Camera Miriam Henri

Steady Cam operator Michael Vega

Gaffer Mackenzie Stretch

Styling assistants John-Marc Bossard + Qianling Du

Make up Xabier Celaya

Make up Assistant Nargis Ali

Hair stylist Tarik Bennafla

Hair stylist assistant Aimeric Amiot

Art Director Zuzanna Paulina Skurtys

Art dept. assistant Bronte Carter

Italy Unit 

Shot at 360 FX studio

Special Effects Matteo Stefan

Producer Antonella Scoliero

1st Assistant director Leonardo Oliani

1st Assistant Camera Juri Molinaroli

Gaffer Federica Pasquali

Aerial Unit

FPV Drone Luca Lombardo

Producer: Jeremy Lyman

Second Unit Director Johnny Ho

Vitruvian HumanAnimation B612 Studio

Visual effects Exchanges VFX

Executive producer Luca Loschi

Visual effects supervisor Marco Negri Mirko De Angelis

2D supervisor Roberta Longo

Producers Letizia Sala, Andrea Peri 

3D artists: Carlo Ballot, Gabriele Sina, Fabrizio Zazzera, Giuseppe Grim Moro

Online: Angelo Anzalone, Lorenzo Moro

Online editing D I • A L

Title Designer Isaac Murai

Technical Equipment Movie People

Special thanks 

Ben Parkin

Alex Bedford

Nico Chirico at Movie People Italia

Antonella Scoliero

Luca Loschi at Exchanges VFX

Matteo Polo

Taja Feistner

Giulia Peruzzotti