Dear Shaded Viewers,
I am off to London on Monday to see the film on Matthew Zorpas directed by Konstantinos Menelaou. Make/Believe is a nuanced personal portrait of Matthew Zorpas, a devoted influencer and one of the world’s most fashionable gentlemen.
Called a loser and irrelevant by some and an inspirational digital revolutionary by others, Zorpas is a deeply polarizing figure. The polarity arises from core questions about love, success, filtered reality, privacy and digital identity. In this film Konstantinos Menelaou documents the online and offline versions of Matthew’s personality and how it informs his work and determines the complexity of his persona which is always on display. Exposing the man behind the Instagram feed, he questions the reality of the unreality of social media and its ambassadors who are both respected and equally reviled.
From London to Milan, from Florence to Paris, Matthew travels around five fashion capitals of the world in twenty two days to attend shows, meet fellow influencers and share his voice on media platforms. Menelaou fundamentally deconstructs the glamorous façade, the falsehoods, the candour, revealing the truths and secret desires behind Matthew’s digital persona.
Featuring appearances by: Marieta Santos , Henri-Nicolas, Nazia Thakur Williamson, Yulia Pashevkina, Sabina Emrit, Junior Parado , Adam Tannous, Matteo Baldi, Elias El-indari, Veneziano Broccia Massimo, Giorgia Cantarini, Salvo Nicosia, Stefan Avanzato, Amanda Bragg-Mollison, Khalid S AlQasimi, Enrico Carlo de Finis, Luis Ribeiro, Nuno Felicio, Marcel Floruss, Federico Poletti, Mahmoud, Dimitrios Tsivrikos, Diane Pernet, Antoine Decrop, Roberto de Rosa, Kadu Dantas, Nico Mauron, Filippo Cirulli and Filippo Fiora.
“Matthew is one of the few fashion professionals I know who retains his quality and integrity both in his personal and professional life. We have been friends for many years, so I know the man, but I also grew to know the influencer. It was fascinating to see how little he was willing to reveal at the beginning of our production, and how much he had opened up as our journey came to its end. What struck me the most was that he still retains his innocence and his desire for human connection and interaction, whether that comes from the cyber-world or the real one.” said Konstantinos Menelaou, Director
“6 years after a very successful yet challenging career, I realised that it was time to face my insecurities. Seeking a deeper level of connection with my audience, I invited Konstantinos to turn on the camera during the busiest time of the year and let him free to explore my relationship with my crew, my fans, my colleagues and also to confront the questions I had never asked myself before.
I wanted to share my fears, the real me, the intimate me, but also give an insight into my work in the fashion world.This feature film, which took 6 months to complete, is as much a testament to what you see online as it is an act of reality.
Matthew Zorpas
Matthew has not only broken the rules but has also set a high bar for influencers since 2012. Named as the best dressed man in Britain by Esquire Magazine and one of the top best dressed men in the world by GQ, Matthew remains deeply committed to his social media persona and continues to explore his vision and occasionally redefine the concept of an influencer.
Konstantinos Menelaou
Konstantinos has been making art and fashion films for the last ten years. Consistently fascinated by human behaviour, his style of work balances between experimental forms and documentary. He shares his work through digital outlets and film festivals where he has the chance to physically communicate with an audience and share his obsessions and ideas. He recently completed his first feature film “He Loves Me”. “Make/Believe” is his second feature film.
A film by Konstantinos Menelaou
Producer Matthew Zorpas LTD
Co-Producer Konstantinos Menelaou & Production House Greece
Make/Believe theme composed by Jerry Bouthier
Camera: Konstantinos Menelaou & Constantinos Nikolaou Still
Photography: Antonis Hadjimichael
