Documentary filmmaker, photographer and director Sebastien Zanella possesses a signature poetic style both captivating and haunting; his imagery suggests the melancholy and the romantic. In looking for the quiet moments behind all the noise, he reveals our humanity and creates imagery that feels uniquely personal. 

 

Continually traveling, Zanella documents what is extraordinary about the traditions and mise en scène of the fashion, sports and lifestyle milieu. His work and personal interests have taken him to Indonesia, Tahiti, Morocco, Latin America and beyond. 

 

As Editor in Chief of Desillusion, a magazine he founded in 2008, Zanella chronicles the crossroads of two opposite worlds - the street and the beach. Desillusion pays tribute to youth and a subculture raised on surfing and skateboarding. “I have always been fascinated by the beautiful losers, the exquisite outsiders. They spurred me to create Desillusion more than twenty years ago in order to document the lifestyle of a generation misunderstood”, shares Zanella.

 

Commercial and editorial clients include Louis Vuitton, Chloé, Hermes, James Perse, Les Others, Numero, Vogue France, W, and Conde Nast Traveler. His work has been exhibited at the prestigious Galerie Art Cube in Saint Germaine des Près in Paris and at Mipim in Brazil. His films have been screened at the San Sebastién and London surf festivals. Books most recently published are "Wave Melancolia", “Solace", and "My Life on Film".

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