We featured artist Alex Prager’s work in Issue 8 of Corduroy and we’ve been excited to see what she’s been up to ever since. So imagine our (delightful) surprise when we saw this new short film that she shot for Mercedes-Benz.

Prager is no stranger to collaborations, having shot Bottega Veneta’s spring 2011 campaign. But this time, she takes the filmic and narrative qualities of her photographs and applies them to an actual film. Though reports have quoted Prager as saying that the film was inspired by childhood favorites, like “James Bond,” “Mary Poppins,” and “The Wizard of Oz,” the artist says it was more about capturing a moment and feeling, both with Mercedes’ brand new SL Roadster car and supermodel Lara Stone.

Prager and Stone (dressed in Calvin Klein Collection of course) shot the clip in the California Big Sky desert over the summer. At less than two minutes long, it’s more like an extended fashion photoshoot than a Hollywood movie, but the final 30 seconds deliver like a blockbuster all the same. At once poetic, slightly eerie and irrepressibly alive, the short film is at once a statement on the sophistication of the Mercedes brand as it is a representation of its power. Prager says she was struck by the styling of the SL Roadster and knew she had to produce a piece that reflected its beauty and romanticism, while also staying true to her own aesthetic tastes, which often have dark undertones.

As for Lara Stone the heroine? Besides complimenting Stone for her “classic women’s body” and femininity, Prager says she was struck by Stone’s acting skills and ability to emote. Her delicate features were the perfect contrast to the strong and bold vehicle being showcased in the project…though dare we say, Stone almost steals the show herself!

Check out the commercial (and a special behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the commercial) below and let us know what you think…

Conceived by Luca Guadagnino with Waris Ahluwalia, Tilda Swinton and her artist companion, Sandro Kopp, “Here” is a beautifully shot film that follows Deyn as she embarks on a romantic treasure hunt of sorts through the chain’s many properties. The creative team says they wanted a “Hitchcock” feel to the film, evidenced not only by the moody lighting and voyeuristic camera angles, but also by the cryptic, handwritten, notes Deyn uncovers at each location.

Jason Schwartzman’s score adds a wonderfully poetic touch to the proceedings, but the star of the show is undoubtedly Deyn (wearing Dior, YSL and Versace no less), as she waltzes through our screens and steals every shot she’s in. For more of the alluring Agyness Deyn, visit the “Here” website at www.thefilmhere.com. And then take a few minutes to check out “Here” below:

The script was penned by Anderson along with his Darjeeling Limited writing partner Roman Coppola (be sure to check out our interview with his sister, Gia Coppola in Corduroy issue IX) and the trailer has certainly piqued our interest as the film is classic Anderson – complete with all the quirkiness and adorably awkward dialogue we have come to love from the director. Moonrise Kingdom is set for limited release this coming spring. Check out the trailer below:

After releasing a video called “Close Your Eyes” in late 2010 that featured Jay Electronica and Lucy Liu, The Bullits are back with their new video for “Supercool,” featuring actress Rosario Dawson. It’s off their debut album, “They Die By Dawn & Other Stories,” which is set to drop soon and rumored to feature guest appearances from Mos Def, Jay Electronica and Tori Amos. For now, check out “Supercool,” featuring Rosario Dawson, below:

We first met Demián Bichir four years ago, when he was in New York with his then-girlfriend, who we were photographing for our premiere issue of Corduroy. Though he is a major movie and television star in his native Mexico, Bichir was happy to stay on the sidelines that day four years ago, preferring to let his girlfriend be the focus of the shoot. Still, we were charmed by his charismatic personality and genuineness, and — without knowing much about his career — asked to also snap a few quick portraits of him later that day. He happily obliged.

Fast forward to 2012 and Bichir is earning raves for his role in last year’s Chris Weitz-directed, “A Better Life” – a film that follows an undocumented immigrant as he struggles to provide for his son amongst the harsh realities of day-to-day life in East L.A. The highlight for Bichir came when he was nominated for a SAG Award, alongside George Clooney, Leonard DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. As he told The Los Angeles Times recently, “This is my fellow peers voting, and that makes me immensely proud.”

We’re thrilled for him too and will be rooting for the underdog when the SAG Awards are presented later this month. In the meantime, we thought it would be nice to look back at our interview with Bichir, which we ran after we caught up with him for Issue #5 of Corduroy…

In his native Mexico, Demián Bichir is a superstar. With films like the record-breaking, Sex, Shame and Tears under his belt, his household-name-status among Mexicans hasn’t quelled his desire to establish himself as a creative force North of the border. With a high profile role in the cult-smash Weeds, and a blistering turn as polarizing icon Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbegh’s guerilla epic CHE, Bichir is on the road to ensuring that his status as a superstar won’t be contained by mere georgraphy.

Built like a leading man, with a grecian frame, smouldering eyes, and raw masculinity oozing from his fingertips, it would be easy for Bichir to rely solely on his looks. Instead, it’s a delicate sensitivity and passion for his craft, that drives him forward. Having grown up in a family where the arts–and especially the theatre–were always front and center, the actor discovered his destiny at an early age. “It helped a lot that my parents were in love with theater,” he says. “My father was a theater director and my mother an actress, and we spoke about that always at home. The fact that they loved art in general, that goes to the genes. Even if you don’t want it, it’s there.”

Like most teenage boys growing up in Mexico, Bichir harboured aspirations of playing soccer for the national team – aspirations that quickly melted away under the hot lights of the theater. “I realized everytime I stepped onto the stage that it was just a great feeling–like scoring a goal,” he says. “It was like a drug. You’re there forever, you’re hooked.”

That’s not to say that Bichir discriminates. After holding is own opposite Benicio Del Toro in CHE, his film career is in full swing. But like many actors, it’s not about the medium for Bichir; It’s about the project. It’s about the director, the cast, the script and most importantly–the character. And whether he’s working in Mexico, the United States, Spain, or China, it is his artistic sensibilities that guide him. According to Bichir, it’s our innate ability to feel emotion through art that makes us unique. “As humans, we’re always in touch with that part of ourselves,” he muses. “It’s everywhere. It’s in us.”

- Daniel Barna

(originally published in Corduroy Issue #5 / photograph by Peter Ash Lee)