FIND OUT ABOUT FILM DIRECTOR NINA AALDERING’S FAVORITE MOMENTS ON SET OF IWC’S SUSTAINABILITY CAMPAIGN WITH GISELE BÜNDCHEN
Gisele Bündchen’s commitment to mother nature has always been heartfelt and genuine. For her announcement as IWC’s Environmental and Community Project Advisor, Gisele stepped in front of film director Nina Aaldering’s camera who is known for her intense and sensible portrayal of women. Through Nina’s lens, we saw the supermodel and ambitious earth activist like never before. Strong, determined, yet notably vulnerable.
THE JOURNAL talked with the Amsterdam-based filmmaker about what it was like to shoot with Gisele for the premiere of the director’s cut “Tides of Me”.
Amsterdam-based film director Nina Aaldering
Nina Aaldering during a shoot in the United Arab Emirates
THE LOVE OF BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Ambitious upfront dreamer.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO DIRECTING?
I started as a copywriter. Up to this day, I still love to write. But soon, I discovered my real love is bringing ideas to life. Directing the scripts that I came up with. Together with a friend of mine, I started a boutique production house. For four years, I directed small films. This is where I learned the ropes of filmmaking.
But I needed to go freelance to make the films I dreamt of. I wanted to work internationally for different production companies and more prominent brands. So, I did, and I never looked back. I’ve been a freelance director for over six years, and I still enjoy every minute of it.
I wanted to show an animal-like image, her soft side versus her wilder side. She understood immediately, and without hesitation, she started dancing bare feet on the rocks
LIVING AND BREATHING SUSTAINABILITY
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH GISELE BÜNDCHEN ON THE TOPIC OF SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE DIRECTOR’S CUT “TIDES OF ME”?
Gisele is a true expert on this topic. She lives and breathes sustainability, making her the perfect protagonist for the project. You could tell she knew that area of Costa Rica in and out. This was no surprise, as she lives there and is genuinely invested in nature and its conservation.
ANY MOMENTS ON SET THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET?
What stuck with me most was the love and effort Gisele poured into this film. When you work with models, they often just do what you ask them to. They do their job, nothing more, nothing less.
Gisele was totally up for going the extra mile, as she clearly enjoyed the shoot. We had this ten-minute time window for the best light in combination with a specific water height. Of course, this time window was long after her call time. She didn’t mind, however. On the contrary, she gave it her all. With the risk of falling on slippery rocks, mind you.
Gisele also came up with her own ideas. I wanted to show an animal-like image, her soft side versus her wilder side. She understood immediately, and without hesitation, she started dancing bare foot on the rocks. It was all improvised on the spot. She just followed her gut and went with it with everything she had. For a director, that’s truly a treat.
Gisele Bündchen is IWC’s Environmental and Community Project Advisor
Gisele Bündchen on set wearing the Portugieser Chronograph IW371617
GISELE BÜNDCHEN AND THE POWER OF PICTURES
TELL US ABOUT THE IMAGERY YOU INTENDED TO CAPTURE.
The raw power of nature, of mother earth. And I wanted to capture Gisele's beauty against this backdrop. I wanted to show her adoration for nature without becoming tacky. She belongs in that place.
IN YOUR FILMS, YOU PORTRAY FEMALE PROTAGONISTS AS STRONG, POWERFUL, DETERMINED WOMEN. SO, GISELE IS THE PERFECT FIT…
Gisele is a strong personality, a woman who knows who she is and knows what she wants. At the same time, she has something vulnerable to her. She’s compassionate and sweet. We discussed showing both sides in this film, so that’s what I tried to do. They go together very well. Not just with Gisele but with any woman. And I believe most women have these two sides to them. Maybe we should show them more often?
With this campaign, we wanted to inspire people to live more sustainably. Make them think about it
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE AS A DIRECTOR?
Photographic, stylized, intimate, and poetic.
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET ACROSS?
With this campaign, we wanted to inspire people to live more sustainably. Make them think about it. Gisele’s evolution as an individual is a theme we incorporated as well. Like her strong belief in a sustainable lifestyle and her search for greater meaning.
But we also wanted to showcase how IWC stays true to its story while including new values that have gained importance over the years. Not just to the brand but to the whole world. Therefore, we tried to make a film that felt pure and focused—a combination of a documentary style and a poetic way of filming with a more editorial tone.
Close to the skin of both Gisele and IWC.
Browse our timepieces
SELECTED FOR YOU
GISELE BÜNDCHEN: “SIMPLICITY IS THE NEW LUXURY”
The supermodel, entrepreneur and environmentalist advises IWC’s sustainability committee on all things community and biodiversity. Find out more here.
Black Bear Brand Goes Ivory on Yellowstone
Josh Sirlin designed an ivory leather jacket for himself. Now it is worn by Kevin Costner on the US hit TV show ‘Yellowstone’. Discover how the collab came about.
Springing into the Year of the Rabbit
IWC unveils the limited Portugieser Automatic 40 “Chinese New Year” Edition (Ref. IW358315). Learn about this homage to the new Lunar Year of the Rabbit.