10 movies and TV series about the modeling business

Almost every girl still dreams of becoming a model, but this is a brutal profession in which it is not so easy to survive or even succeed. The other day, Sarik Andreasyan said that he plans to shoot the series “Beauty”, which is about the underside of the modeling business after the collapse of the USSR. On this occasion, we present our selection of both new and undeservedly forgotten films and series about models.

By the way, we have already told you how to get into the modeling business today.

“Model Agency”, dir. Marina Sargenti, Chip Chalmers et al (1994-1995)

It’s a spinoff of the TV series “Melrose Place,” about the mother of Amanda Woodward, owner of elite modeling agency Models Inc. A Los Angeles resident named Hilary Michaels (played by Linda Gray). In order to stay at the top in a tough competition, he skillfully solves everyday problems and finds a way out of non-standard situations. He must not only look for the future top stars of the industry, but also protect them from injustices and dangers. Recommended viewing for anyone who wants an unvarnished behind-the-scenes look at the modeling business: Along with big fees, photo shoots and stunts, there’s also blackmail, rivalry and even murder.

“Gia”, dir. Michael Christopher (1998)

A beautiful and incredibly sad biopic about the first world-famous supermodel, Gia Carangi (portrayed on-screen by Angelina Jolie). From an ordinary girl working as a dishwasher in a cafe on the outskirts of the city, she became a catwalk star in the 70s. Her incredible beauty brought her worldwide fame, but not everyone manages to withstand the test of fame.

“Red Queen”, dir. Alena Yağmurer (2015)

The plot focuses on the difficult fate of the Soviet model Regina Zbarskaya (the main role was played by Ksenia Lukyanchikova), nicknamed the “Red Queen” and “Soviet Sophia Loren” in the Western press for her beauty. The series tells about other famous models and designers of the 1950s, as well as the difficulties of creating fashion collections under the dominance of party ideology.

“Prisoner of Fashion”, dir. Madhur Bhandarkar (2009)

The melodrama of a girl who dreams of conquering the world podium. Beautiful Meghna Mathur (starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas) moves from her hometown to Mumbai and dives into a world of glamor and luxury. She will have to face the bad side of the fashion industry, but she is ready for anything on the way to her goal.

“Desert Flower”, dir. Sherry Horman (2009)

Film adaptation of the autobiography of the same name by Somali top model Waris Dirie (Lie Kebede). To avoid marriage, she crossed the desert alone to Mogadishu at the age of 13, and from there she went to London and got a job as an embassy maid. When war broke out in his country, Varis became an illegal immigrant and struggled to make ends meet. A chance meeting with a clothing salesman earned her a ticket to the world of fashion. He achieved success thanks to his exotic appearance and charisma, but he used his fame to draw the world community into his country’s barbaric tradition of female genital mutilation, of which he was a victim as a child.

“Top Model”, dir. Mads Matthiesen (2016)

A girl from the country gets a chance to sign a contract with a leading modeling agency in Paris. During one of the photo shoots, Emma meets successful and attractive photographer Shane White, with whom she begins a relationship. Everything seems like a fairy tale, but only for now. The duet was performed by Maria Palm and Ed Skrein.

“Ideal”, dir. Frederic Beigbeder (2016)

“American women are too healthy, French women are too capricious, German women are too athletic, Japanese women are too submissive, Italian women are too jealous, English women are too drunk, Dutch women are too relaxed, Spanish women are too sluggish! “What remains are the Russians who have special beauty and an inexplicable power over people,” is convinced Octave (Gaspard Proust), a scout of a French cosmetics company. To find not just a model, but also a part of the industry, he travels to Russia, where he finds thousands of unreal He has to choose between beauty. At the same time, he dives into the bohemian life of Moscow clubs, meets oligarchs and tries to combine work with erotic adventures. It is a cynical film about the modeling business in the spirit of 99 Franks.

“Neon Demon”, dir. Nicolas Winding Refn (2016)

16-year-old Jessie (Elle Fanning) sets out after school to conquer Los Angeles and wins a lucky ticket. Her beauty is so perfect that everyone is drawn to her to destroy her. Fear about competition in the fashion world.

“Anna”, dir. Luc Besson (2019)

Moscow, 1980s. A scout from a French modeling agency notices Anna (Sasha Luss), a beautiful girl selling nesting dolls in the Izmailovsky market. He offers her a modeling contract in Paris, not suspecting that a professional intelligence officer is hiding behind her angelic appearance.

“Stories of Young People”, dir. Ahn Gil-ho (2020)

We are used to seeing female models on the catwalks, but we know little about what male models face in this industry. “Teen Stories” focuses on Sa Hae-joon (Park Po-gum), who works as a model but dreams of becoming a famous actor one day. Although he comes from a wealthy family, he is not as lucky as his friend Hye Joon (Byung Woo-seok), who does not receive support from anyone and works hard. Meanwhile, their friend Ahn Jung Ha (Park So-dam) works as a makeup artist and hopes to start her own brand one day.