This is a documentary that will tear your heart out.
You will see and hear much about "Gia Carangi", for this is the primary focus of the film. But what is more important is that the filmmaker makes it clear that the sad story is not exclusive to just this supermodel.
In this documentary there are no bells, no whistles, and no polish - just people telling you what they knew, what they experienced and sharing what they knew of one of the first supermodels of the late 1970's early 1980's, Gia Garangi.
You will be touched by this. The documentarian, JJ Martin, has put together "in your face" interviews of some of the people who were closest to Gia at certain times of her life, and they are as honest as can be. This is not fiction, these are the facts as they experienced it.
There are those in that are tops in fashion who give their perspective, those that are/were hard line drug addicts that will give you some insight, but the most riveting interviews are from her mother Kathleen, who speaks of Gia's last days; Janice Dickinson, also one of the first supermodels who worked with Gia on MANY shoots (and to me, gives one of the most heartbreaking revelations about how she felt for Gia's situation); Sandy Linter, a make-up artist and one of the loves of Gia's life; Zoe Lund, also a famous model, talented screenwriter and heroin addict (who died herself in 1999 of complications of long term drug abuse so there is history as well); Francesco Scavullo, one of the most famous fashion photographers in the world who you will find not only worked with Gia but cared about her as far as he could and the most important interview with Gia's drug therapist, Robert Hilton. Robert Hilton's recollections and admissions in this documentary will ... make you cry.
The interviews are purposely in black and white, the cameras are up close in the subjects faces for they reveal every emotion of those recalling memories or trying to take you into a world of addiction you hope to never experience. Between these interviews are home photographs of Gia as well as professional modeling shots, home movies, a TV commerical Gia stared in and the ABC Television 20/20 interview. You get the opportunity to know more about this famous model's rise at 17, who turned hard-line drug addict and died of AIDS at 26 years old.
The story will be hard to accept. A beautiful woman with "everything" who dies with "nothing". You'll no longer wonder whether or not that beauty is only skin deep. You'll want to know why Gia couldn't be helped, why anyone didn't help - or DID they? You'll get an insiders view on hard drug addition and what it does to you, and you'll actually see what it did to Gia.
For those who have seen the HBO movie, you'll know that that was a movie having many combined elements of Gia's life. This gives you much more, from those who actually experienced it. A must see.
You will see and hear much about "Gia Carangi", for this is the primary focus of the film. But what is more important is that the filmmaker makes it clear that the sad story is not exclusive to just this supermodel.
In this documentary there are no bells, no whistles, and no polish - just people telling you what they knew, what they experienced and sharing what they knew of one of the first supermodels of the late 1970's early 1980's, Gia Garangi.
You will be touched by this. The documentarian, JJ Martin, has put together "in your face" interviews of some of the people who were closest to Gia at certain times of her life, and they are as honest as can be. This is not fiction, these are the facts as they experienced it.
There are those in that are tops in fashion who give their perspective, those that are/were hard line drug addicts that will give you some insight, but the most riveting interviews are from her mother Kathleen, who speaks of Gia's last days; Janice Dickinson, also one of the first supermodels who worked with Gia on MANY shoots (and to me, gives one of the most heartbreaking revelations about how she felt for Gia's situation); Sandy Linter, a make-up artist and one of the loves of Gia's life; Zoe Lund, also a famous model, talented screenwriter and heroin addict (who died herself in 1999 of complications of long term drug abuse so there is history as well); Francesco Scavullo, one of the most famous fashion photographers in the world who you will find not only worked with Gia but cared about her as far as he could and the most important interview with Gia's drug therapist, Robert Hilton. Robert Hilton's recollections and admissions in this documentary will ... make you cry.
The interviews are purposely in black and white, the cameras are up close in the subjects faces for they reveal every emotion of those recalling memories or trying to take you into a world of addiction you hope to never experience. Between these interviews are home photographs of Gia as well as professional modeling shots, home movies, a TV commerical Gia stared in and the ABC Television 20/20 interview. You get the opportunity to know more about this famous model's rise at 17, who turned hard-line drug addict and died of AIDS at 26 years old.
The story will be hard to accept. A beautiful woman with "everything" who dies with "nothing". You'll no longer wonder whether or not that beauty is only skin deep. You'll want to know why Gia couldn't be helped, why anyone didn't help - or DID they? You'll get an insiders view on hard drug addition and what it does to you, and you'll actually see what it did to Gia.
For those who have seen the HBO movie, you'll know that that was a movie having many combined elements of Gia's life. This gives you much more, from those who actually experienced it. A must see.