Barnaby Roper: Vanitas

Director Barnaby Roper coaxes a supernatural performance from two of the Royal Danish Ballet's rising stars for his latest high concept vision, Vanitas. The filmmaker drew inspiration from photorealist painter Hans Henrik Lerfeldt for the surreal fantasy: “What I liked about his work is the cycle of life, beauty and decay,” Roper says of the artist, known for juxtaposing oversized insects with classical beauties. “The thread through the film is that these two elements are one and the same.” Soundtracked by an original score from the Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner, the film features new autumn/winter looks from Roper's wife, fashion designer Camilla Staerk, whose luxe-gothic offerings are accented by fur, leather and lace. "There is a Danish sharpness and sensibility to my designs," she says. "The Scandinavian darkness myth is definitely true, and since I am drawn to that and it is part of who I am, it shines through in what I do."