Ornamentation is a Gift
Celeste turns to her mother for support and comfort after she is bullied at school. Instead of the warmth she’s expecting, she receives a lesson in aggression, manipulation, and hard power—in the form of a makeup tutorial. Years later, we find her all grown up. Her beauty, an armor against the world.
Her mother’s daughter.
Yet still without comfort.
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Ray SmilingDirectorKhaki Is Not Leather, Adidas, Rockstar Games, Beats By Dre
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Ray SmilingWriterKhaki Is Not Leather, Adidas, Rockstar Games, Beats By Dre
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Carol McCartyProducer
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Massimo LegittimoProducer
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Nadia AboulhosnKey Cast"Celeste"
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Emilia OrtizKey Cast"Narrator"
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:8 minutes 59 seconds
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Completion Date:June 1, 2019
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:RED Dragon 6k
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Aspect Ratio:2.39:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Short Films That Matter at AlamoBrooklyn
United States -
New York No Limits Film SeriesNew York
United States
March 3, 2020
New York Premiere
Director and writer Ray Smiling is a lifelong Brooklynite and member of the Clio Awards jury, having worked extensively in the worlds of streetwear, sports, video games, and music. As a writer/director, Ray aims to juxtapose universal human truth with an absurdist worldview, focusing on the stories of outsiders as they reckon with the wider world. His work has been praised by Complex, Forbes, VICE, and many others.