Dior's "Nose" Documentary Takes You On an Trip Around the Globe

(Image credit: Courtesy of Parfums Christian Dior)

published 22 February 2021

Nose, the new documentary about celebrated Dior perfumer François Demachy, was directed by Clément Beauvais and Arthur de Kersauson. The duo trailed Demachy on his far-flung ingredient sourcing trips around the globe for two years (not a bad gig).
The film gives an insider view into the art of fine perfume-making, distilling the creative process, the precious ingredients along with stories from the people who grow them, all while delivering dreamy landscapes from destinations like Indonesia and Madagascar.
Following the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival premiere, Nose releases on demand on February 22 on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play.

If you have an hour and need a mental vacation (and some motivation to book your first post-COVID travels), make a date with Nose. The dreamy film captures perfume-making at its most glam: through the eyes of Dior's longtime house perfumer (a.k.a. "nose") and industry icon, François Demachy.

The film documents two years of his life and opens with the silver-haired star visiting patchouli plantations in Sulawesi, Indonesia. It then hopscotches all over the world as he scouts bergamot in Calabria, ylang ylang in the tiny island of Nosy Be in Madagascar, sandalwood in Sri Lanka, and even ambergris (digestive matter from sperm whales—yes, you read that right—which has a sweet, musky scent that Demachy calls "mysterious and magical") along the County Clare coast of Ireland. Home base is between Paris and Grasse, the epicenter of French perfumery, where, growing up, Demachy honed his olfactory sense amid plush fields of jasmine, tuberose, and rose de Mai. He was pretty much born into perfumery.

dior fields of rose de mai in grasse — 'Field of dreams: rose de Mai in Grasse.'

For the virtual premiere earlier this month, Dior offered viewers an AR experience, pairing vials of the scents to sniff along with Demachy in corresponding scenes. Cameos from Dior spokesmodels—Natalie Portman, Eva Herzigova, and Virginie Ledoyen—lend a touch of celebrity to the film, while perfume aficionado and ex-Marie Claire beauty director Erin Flaherty offers cultural narrative throughout the story.

Directed by Clément Beauvais and Arthur de Kersauson, Nose premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and can be viewed on demand on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play.