Rolex and the World of Cinema

Through the numerous appearances of its unforgettable timepieces in monumental films, Rolex has been inextricably linked to the history of cinema. Having famously appeared on the wrists of many great actors – from Marlon Brando and Harrison Ford to Paul Newman and Gabriel Byrne – the number of all-time-classic films that feature a Rolex continues to grow.

Following the 2017 Oscars film which featured many memorable scenes with Rolex watches on the wrists of legendary characters, another Rolex short film was unveiled during the 90th Academy Awards early in March, this time from a different angle. The production featured an impressive line-up of four outstanding filmmakers speaking about the art of, and reasons for, film-making, and of course… their love for Rolex wristwatches. The filmmakers, who each have won Best Director Oscars for their work are Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron, Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Martin Scorsese – all of whom are Rolex Testimonees in cinema.

These directors represent the pinnacle of achievement in film, being one of the foremost reasons why Rolex chose to collaborate with them. Each director has their own style and each has a personality that has contributed to creating some of the most unforgettable cinematic experiences. They are remarkable storytellers who are masters of their craft and whose films have withstood the test of time. Bigelow, Cameron, Iñárritu and Scorsese also share with Rolex the understanding of the importance of time and how one makes a mark on the world through excellence in storytelling.

KATHRYN BIGELOW

The first and only woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director, Kathryn Bigelow’s command of visual narrative, her determination and her choice of subjects that have the ability to provoke change, have redefined the landscape of cinema. The American director also acts as producer and writer for many of her own films.

In 1981, Bigelow co-wrote and directed her first feature film, The Loveless, and in the 1990s directed a trilogy of action films – Blue Steel (1989), Point Break (1991) and Strange Days (1995) – in which she challenged the conventions of action cinema. Her subsequent films certified her position as a Hollywood heavyweight with political action-thrillers such as The Hurt Locker in 2008 and Zero Dark Thirty in 2012 (for The Hurt Locker, she won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director). With her most recent film, Detroit, Bigelow directed and produced a film based on the 1967 Detroit riots. Her films provoke an examination of the politics that surround us, and have established the director as a true auteur.

Bigelow regards films as a journalistic experience: “If the purpose of art is to agitate for change then film should expose us to something we don’t already know.” On her appearing with the other three directors in the Rolex film, Bigelow said she felt “extremely humbled and honoured to be in the company of such extraordinary and enduring talents”.

JAMES CAMERON

Cameron is an acclaimed filmmaker and explorer. As director, writer and producer he has been responsible for some of the most memorable films of the past three decades: The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), True Lies (1994), Titanic (1997), and Avatar (2009).

His films have spearheaded new ways in visual effects and set numerous performance records both in the US and internationally; Avatar is the highest grossing film in history, while Titanic held that same record for 12 years.

Cameron described his experience of being in the film with the other directors: “All four of us have very different styles and we’re interested in very different types of subjects, but what we have in common is a devotion to excellence, from a unique and visionary perspective on the world.”

ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU

The winner of two consecutive Oscars for Best Director (Birdman in 2015, and The Revenant in 2016), Alejandro G. Iñárritu is known for his exploration of the human condition, coupled with his visual style, which have established him as a force to be reckoned with.

His latest work, CARNE y ARENA (Virtually present, Physically invisible), is a conceptual virtual reality installation based on true accounts that allows the viewer to experience a fragment of the personal journeys of refugees. First presented at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, it was awarded a special Oscar at the ninth annual Governors Awards, Iñárritu’s fifth Academy Award. The Academy stated they were presenting the award to recognise a “visionary and powerful experience in storytelling”.

Time is an essential element of his films, as he stated: “Our life is multidimensional, but time is linear we cannot escape that. Cinema is a two-dimensional reality within a frame, but time and space are fragmented which is why it’s so liberating and addictive.”

Iñárritu was s film mentor in the 2014-2015 Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, where he took his protégé on the set of The Revenant. The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, launched in 2002, plays a vital part in shaping the future generations of filmmakers as well as inspiring existing ones.

His latest work, CARNE y ARENA (Virtually present, Physically invisible), is a conceptual virtual reality installation based on true accounts that allows the viewer to experience a fragment of the personal journeys of refugees. First presented at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, it was awarded a special Oscar at the ninth annual Governors Awards, Iñárritu’s fth Academy Award. The Academy stated they were presenting the award to recognize a “visionary and powerful experience in storytelling”.

Time is an essential element of his films, as he stated: “Our life is multidimensional, but time is linear we cannot escape that. Cinema is a two-dimensional reality within a frame, but time and space are fragmented which is why it’s so liberating and addictive.”

Iñárritu was s film mentor in the 2014–2015 Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, where he took his protégé on the set of The Revenant. The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, launched in 2002, plays a vital part in shaping the future generations of filmmakers as well as inspiring existing ones.

MARTIN SCORSESE

Martin Scorsese is a towering figure in the history of cinema; a director, producer and screenwriter with a career spanning 50 years and as many films – many of which are considered some of the greatest ever made. He grew up in New York’s Little Italy and made his first films in the late 1960s. He redefined our idea of what was possible in movies with such classics as Mean Streets (1973), Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980). Scorsese’s unique combination of artistry, charisma and generosity continue to inspire filmmakers and audiences all over the world. Details play a crucial role in telling a story on screen and in many of his most iconic films, Scorsese has chosen to feature Rolex watches, with a preference for the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date.

In 2008, Scorsese became a mentor for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. He chose to work with the young Argentinean filmmaker Celina Murga, who was by his side for the filming of Shutter Island (2010).

In short, Martin Scorsese has had a profound effect on the art form that became his vocation at a very early age. During the making of the Rolex short film, he made a statement that aptly summarizes his eternally youthful creative energy: “If it moves a young person, if it instils that kind of excitement and inspiration, I like that very much. I like to see what they do if they’re inspired by something I’ve done.

“Film really tells us who we are – [it] tells us about ourselves. There’s a reflection of the society that we were at the time, our philosophy of life.”

In 2008, Scorsese became a mentor for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. He chose to work with the young Argentinean filmmaker Celina Murga, who was by his side for the filming of Shutter Island (2010).

In short, Martin Scorsese has had a profound effect on the art form that became his vocation at a very early age. During the making of the Rolex film, he made a statement that aptly summarizes his eternally youthful creative energy: “If it moves a young person, if it instils that kind of excitement and inspiration, I like that very much. I like to see what they do if they’re inspired by something I’ve done.”

“Film really tells us who we are. Tells us about ourselves. There’s a reflection of the society that we were at the time, our philosophy of life.”

OTHER INITIATIVES

Rolex plays a part in shaping future generations of filmmakers and inspiring existing ones with the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, which was launched in 2002 to make a contribution to global culture. The programme seeks out gifted young artists from all over the world and brings them together with artistic masters for a year of creative collaboration in a one-to-one mentoring relationship. Past mentors in film have included the four exceptional directors as well as other Academy Award winners such as Alfonso Cuarón and film editor Walter Murch; the Oscar-nominated directors Stephen Frears and Mira Nair, as well as renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou.

Rolex also hosted and designed the Greenroom at the Oscars for the past three consecutive years. The 2018 Greenroom opened up an entirely new world, one that reflected Rolex and its Swiss heritage. In a similar fashion to how films create new universes, Rolex transports its Greenroom guests to its own world in a contemporary chalet high up in the Swiss mountains.

Rolex is the Exclusive Watch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a Proud Sponsor of the Oscars during the period of its broadcast in the United States. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, due to open in Los Angeles in 2019, will retrace and preserve the history of cinema. Rolex is a Founding Supporter and will contribute to a “Rolex Gallery” within the museum.

For more information, visit www.rolex.com.