Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams

A documentary about the shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo. The narrative begins in a village in southern Italy. Ferragamo is one of a very large family; he starts making shoes at nine and soon leaves for America. He opens a shop in California. In the silent era he begins making shoes for the studios and his customers become the actors of the period. The best part of the documentary is about the foot. Ferragamo wondered why shoes hurt people and started taking anatomy classes; he found where the weight falls on the foot and cut his lasts accordingly. The secret of the work is not ornament but that measurement. Then he returns to Italy, sets up a workshop in Florence and goes bankrupt. He starts again. The war years section is about the absence of materials: with no leather he tried cork, cellophane, fish skin and raffia. The wedge heel came out of that necessity. The narrative runs on archive footage, family interviews and comments from designers. Manolo Blahnik and Martin Scorsese are among those speaking. Luca Guadagnino directed; he is known for his fiction films and works here at not turning into brand promotion. It cannot be said he entirely succeeds. Who it is for: anyone interested in the history of fashion, in craft and in the silent era. Who it is not for: anyone looking for a critical view; the documentary was made with the family and does not go near hard subjects.