These films brought me to the village of Ventimiglia in Italy, an ancient coastal hill town on the border of France to shoot the very first brand shoot for VITTI Cycling.
The creative brief was that our body of work should draw on Italian cinema for inspiration combined with loose documentary footage of cyclists in the villages and hills of Liguria.
Each day started with espresso and a loose plan to head out and shoot whatever we felt capturing; the feeling of being there. We rolled through villages and mountain ranges, up and down windy roads barely wide enough for our crew car. Olive trees and giant rosemary bushes littered the hillside. We dealt with the conditions of the day including wind and rain and the occasional bright sunny day.
Church bells, diesel engines, and the chatter of people in the cafes going about their days were our constant background sounds, they were just as part of the place as the cobbled streets and seaside. We could feel the old world surround us, the pace was slow, the people welcoming, the food simple and perfect.
Italy and cycling go together like hand and glove. We hope for a return soon to explore more of what the country has to offer.