Film Lens
Model is a 1981 documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman that examines the modeling industry in New York City, focusing on the Zoli modeling agency owned by Zoltan 'Zoli' Rendessy. The film presents a series of vignettes featuring Zoli, his employees, models, clients, and photographers, without a narrator. It opens with a cityscape of lower Manhattan and intercuts various fashion sequences, street scenes, and shots of mannequins, illustrating the contrast between the glamorous world of modeling and the everyday life of New Yorkers.
The film captures the agency's process of screening aspiring models and the rigid standards they face, such as height requirements. A notable sequence involves the making of a television commercial for Evan-Picone pantyhose, where a model's leg is photographed over 79 takes to achieve a specific effect. The film concludes with an Oscar de la Renta runway show, emphasizing the constructed nature of fashion and advertising against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline at night.
Why Watch
- •See Zoltan 'Zoli' Rendessy in action at his modeling agency.
- •Find out how a pantyhose commercial was made with 79 takes.
- •Meet models facing strict height requirements in the industry.
Did You Know
•The film was shot in 1979 and 1980 on black-and-white film.
•Zoli tells a female aspirant that her height of 5 ft 6.5 in is 'too short'.
•The longest sequence in the film runs nearly 30 minutes and features a pantyhose commercial.
•The film was broadcast on PBS on September 16, 1981.
Perfect For
Fashion industry insightsDocumentary filmmaking1980s New York City